Illinois State Rep. Greg Harris, D-Chicago, plans to run the Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act through the House’s Human Services Committee on March 21.
On Feb. 22, Harris introduced House Bill 1615, a measure that would make Illinois only the second state in the United States to recognize same-sex marriages. However, after talking with several colleagues who said that many of their constituents are wrestling with the concept of same-sex marriage, Harris is now introducing House Bill 1826, ‘which addresses our colleagues concerns, gives protection to vulnerable families and children, and safeguards religious freedom but doesn’t get into the debate about what constitutes marriage,’ according to part of a testimony Harris plans to deliver.
‘HB 1826 creates a new statute separate from the Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, and spells out the protections and obligations that persons in civil unions would have,’ according to another section of the speech. The measure proposes that same-sex couples would have the same basic legal protections and responsibilities that come with marriage.
In separate news, Harris and State Sen. Miguel Sandoval, D-Cicero, were among those who held a press conference at the James Thompson Center, 100 W. Randolph, on March 16 to talk about breast-exam measures for Illinois women. House Bill 147 and Senate Bill 422 require state and private insurance plans to cover comprehensive clinical breast exams for all adult women.