or Login to see your representatives.

Access Candidates' and Representatives' Biographies, Voting Records, Interest Group Ratings, Issue Positions, Public Statements, and Campaign Finances

Simply enter your zip code above to get to all of your candidates and representatives, or enter a name. Then, just click on the person you are interested in, and you can navigate to the categories of information we track for them.

[x] close
Print Track This Legislation

Key Votes

SB 1716 - Authorizing Civil Unions - Key Vote

Illinois Key Votes

Mike Fortner voted Nay (Passage With Amendment) on this legislation.

Read recent statements Mike Fortner made in this general time period.

Stages

Family

Issues

Stage Details

Legislation - Signed (Executive) -

Title: Authorizing Civil Unions

Signed by Governor Pat Quinn
Legislation - Concurrence Vote Passed (Senate) (32-24) - (Key vote)

Title: Authorizing Civil Unions

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes same-sex couples to enter into civil unions with the same legal protections and benefits as afforded to spouses.

Highlights:
-Defines "civil union" as a legal relationship between two persons regardless of sex (Sec. 10). -Authorizes persons in a civil union to be afforded the same legal obligations, responsibilities, protections, and benefits as afforded to spouses under the state law (Sec. 20). -Prohibits the following civil unions (Sec. 25):
    -A union entered into prior to both parties becoming 18 years old; -A union in which at least one party is participating in another marriage, civil union, or substantially similar legal relationship; -A union between an ancestor and a descendent, or between siblings, whether by blood or adoption; -A union between an aunt or uncle and a niece or nephew, whether the relationship is by the half or the whole blood or by adoption; and -A union between first cousins.
Note:

NOTE: THIS IS A SUBSTITUTE BILL, MEANING THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORIGINAL BILL HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE SUBSTITUTE BILL TEXT DIFFERS FROM THE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE TEXT CAN VARY GREATLY.

See The Voting Record

Legislation - Bill Passed (House) (61-52) - (Key vote)

Title: Authorizing Civil Unions

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that authorizes same-sex couples to enter into civil unions with the same legal protections and benefits as afforded to spouses.

Highlights:
-Defines "civil union" as a legal relationship between two persons regardless of sex (Sec. 10). -Authorizes persons in a civil union to be afforded the same legal obligations, responsibilities, protections, and benefits as afforded to spouses under the state law (Sec. 20). -Prohibits the following civil unions (Sec. 25):
    -A union entered into prior to both parties becoming 18 years old; -A union in which at least one party is participating in another marriage, civil union, or substantially similar legal relationship; -A union between an ancestor and a descendent, or between siblings, whether by blood or adoption; -A union between an aunt or uncle and a niece or nephew, whether the relationship is by the half or the whole blood or by adoption; and -A union between first cousins.
Note:

NOTE: THIS IS A SUBSTITUTE BILL, MEANING THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORIGINAL BILL HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE SUBSTITUTE BILL TEXT DIFFERS FROM THE PREVIOUS VERSION OF THE TEXT CAN VARY GREATLY.

See The Voting Record

Legislation - Bill Passed (Senate) (53-0) -
Legislation - Introduced (Senate) -

Title: Authorizing Civil Unions

Sponsors

About Project Vote Smart

Help Us If You Can

Media & Communications

Education

For Candidates

One Common Ground, Philipsburg, MT 59858 Hotline: 888-Vote-Smart (888-868-3762)
All content © 1992 - 2013 Project Vote Smart unless otherwise attributed - Privacy Policy - Legislative demographic data provided by Aristotle International, Inc. Mobile Version

Back to top