Illinois Politics

Former US congressman Jesse Jackson Jr, the son of the well-known civil rights leader, pleaded guilty to stealing $750,000 in campaign donations to fund a lavish lifestyle.

US prosecutors filed fraud and conspiracy charges against former US congressman Jesse Jackson Jr, who stands accused of diverting $750,000 of campaign funds for his personal use.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson will join Illinois Lt. Governor Sheila Simon in Chicago to lobby lawmakers to legalize gay marriage. Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who co-stars on ABC's Modern Family, will join Illinois Lt. Governor Sheila Simon in Chicago on Wednesday to lobby lawmakers to legalize gay marriage. Illinois lawmakers, who legalized civil unions for gay couples 2 years ago, are expected to take up the issue when they reconvene for a lame-duck session in January. ?It is our responsibility to ensure that everyone is treated equally under the law, and right now we have a group of citizens that we are treating as second-class,? said Simon in a statement. ?Bringing marriage equality to Illinois is the right thing to do, and I appreciate the hard work by Rep. Greg Harris, Sen. Heather Steans and three-time Emmy nominee Jesse Tyler Ferguson to bring much-deserved attention to this issue.? Ferguson and his lawyer fiance, Justin Mikita, in September launched the non-profit Tie The Knot, which sells l

President Barack Obama on Saturday endorsed an effort to make Illinois the tenth state to legalize gay marriage. ?President Barack Obama on Saturday endorsed an effort to make his home state of Illinois the tenth state to legalize gay marriage. ?While the president does not weigh in on every measure being considered by state legislatures, he believes in treating everyone fairly and equally, with dignity and respect,? White House spokesman Shin Inouye told the Chicago Sun-Times. ?As he has said, his personal view is that it's wrong to prevent couples who are in loving, committed relationships, and want to marry, from doing so. Were the President still in the Illinois State Legislature, he would support this measure that would treat all Illinois couples equally.? The announcement comes on the same day that Maine began issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples following a voter referendum. (Related: First gay couples marry in Maine.) Illinois lawmakers, who legalized civil unio

Hundreds of clergy on Sunday voiced support for legalizing gay marriage in Illinois. Hundreds of clergy on Sunday voiced support for legalizing gay marriage in Illinois. According to the Chicago Tribune, more than 250 mostly Chicago-area clergy have endorsed a marriage equality bill introduced in February and expected to be debated next month during the General Assembly's lame-duck session. The rabbis and pastors announced a declaration in support of marriage rights for gay couples. ?Standing on these beliefs [of faith, justice and compassion], we think that it is morally just to grant equal opportunities and responsibilities to loving, committed same-sex couples,? the clergy said in their declaration. ?There can be no justification for the law treating people differently on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.? Chief sponsors of the bill earlier this month signaled that they have sufficient support to get the bill to Governor Pat Quinn's desk. Quinn has said he looks fo

A group of conservative organizations have banded together to kill an effort to legalize gay marriage in Illinois. A group of conservative organizations have banded together to kill an effort to legalize gay marriage in Illinois. A push for a vote on a marriage bill introduced in February is expected next month during the General Assembly's lame-duck session. Chief sponsors of the bill last week signaled that they have sufficient support to get the bill to Governor Pat Quinn's desk. Quinn has said he looks forward to signing the bill into law. The Coalition to Protect Children and Marriage includes a who's who of Illinois social conservative groups, including the Eagle Forum of Illinois, Catholic Citizens of Illinois, the Thomas More Law Center, the Illinois Family-Institute and the Family-Pac. ?Government did not create marriage,? David Smith, director of the Illinois Family-Institute, said in a statement. ?It merely recognizes and promotes this type of relationship that exists and wh

The Illinois State Bar Association has endorsed legislation legalizing gay marriage in Illinois. The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) has endorsed legislation legalizing gay marriage in Illinois. Chief sponsors of the marriage bill last week said they will push for a vote next month during the General Assembly's lame-duck session. ?We think we can get this done in January,? state Senator Heather Steans, a Democrat from Chicago, told Chicago Business. In an announcement released over the weekend, the ISBA's 203-member policy-making Assembly said it had voted to support the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act introduced in February by Rep. Greg Harris and two other openly gay representatives, Deb Mell and Kelly Cassidy. Harris was also the primary sponsor of Illinois' civil unions law. Harris has previously said he would only consider pushing the legislation when he has the votes. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, Harris downplayed the likelihood of a vote in January. ?T

The Roman Catholic Church in Illinois has begun rolling out a campaign to kill a gay marriage bill in Illinois. The Roman Catholic Church in Illinois has begun rolling out a campaign to kill a gay marriage bill in Illinois. Chief sponsors of the bill said last week that they will push for a vote next month during the General Assembly's lame-duck session. Rep. Greg Harris, along with two other openly gay representatives, Deb Mell and Kelly Cassidy, introduced the marriage bill in February. Harris was also the primary sponsor of Illinois' civil unions law. ?The timing is right for us to push this,? Harris said on Thursday. Governor Pat Quinn said this week that he hopes to sign the marriage bill into law. Last month, Catholic Conference of Illinois, the policy arm of the Catholic Church in Illinois, issued a Marriage Toolkit, in which it outlined resources and talking points on the issue for Catholics. Most of the resources listed come from the church itself, such as the United States Co

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn hopes state lawmakers will approve a gay marriage bill during the upcoming lame duck session. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn hopes state lawmakers will approve a gay marriage bill during the upcoming lame duck session. ?I hope that bill goes forward,? Quinn is quoted as saying by The Chicago Tribune. ?It's the House that probably the key arena at this time, and I think we'll see how the members look at the issue. They should study it carefully and vote their conscience.? Quinn, a Democrat, made the comments during a roundtable with reporters on Monday. In February, Illinois state Rep. Greg Harris, along with two other openly gay representatives, Deb Mell and Kelly Cassidy, introduced the marriage bill. Harris was also the primary sponsor of Illinois' civil unions law. ?At this point, we will call it when we have the votes there,? Harris, a Democrat from Chicago, told the paper. ?We can see the trend of public opinion having shifted dramatically ? but it takes time

Gay marriage foes not allowed to intervene in the defense of a lawsuit challenging Illinois' ban on such unions. A judge has denied a request from a Christian conservative group and two churches to intervene in the defense of a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Illinois' ban on gay marriage. On Friday, Cook County Judge Sophia Hall ruled that the Illinois Family Institute, the Church of Christian Liberty in Arlington Heights and Grace Gospel Fellowship in Bensenville do not have sufficient interest in the case to intervene, the Chicago Tribune reported. The Cook County state's attorney and the Illinois attorney general have refused to defend the law in court. Attorney Bryan Beauman had argued that allowing the organizations to defend the marriage law would ?even the playing field.? More than two dozen gay and lesbian couples who wish to marry in Illinois but are unable because state law defines marriage as a heterosexual union filed the lawsuit challenging the law in May. Ni

Jesse Jackson Jr, the son of the noted civil rights leader, resigned from the US House of Representatives Wednesday amid a cloud of corruption.

On Friday, a 'Chicago Tribune' editorial summed up gay marriage in Illinois as a foregone conclusion. On Friday, a Chicago Tribune editorial summed up gay marriage in Illinois as a foregone conclusion. The piece was published in response to a letter to the Sun-Times written by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. ?Marriage equality is the next step in our nation's march forward,? Emanuel wrote. ?Illinois must lead the way.? Eric Zorne disagreed, saying it's ?too late for leadership.? ?All Illinois can do now is hop on the train of history. All the trend lines show it's about to roll over the obstinate states where legislators refuse to recognize the inevitability, if not the wisdom and justice, of same-sex couples getting the same rights to formalize their relationships that are enjoyed by opposite-sex couples,? he wrote. In February, Illinois state Rep. Greg Harris, along with two other openly gay representatives, Deb Mell and Kelly Cassidy, introduced a bill legalizing marriage for gay couple

Controversial pastor Scott Lively is considering a run for governor of Massachusetts. Controversial pastor Scott Lively is considering a run for governor of Massachusetts. According to The Republican, Lively is in the early stages exploring the viability of a campaign for the 2014 election. ?I'm probably 90 percent sure that I'm going to do it, but I'm holding back that 10 percent,? Lively said. He added that he has yet to decided whether he would run as an independent, a Republican or a Democrat. ?The third option,? he said, ?is probably the least likely.? Lively, the president of the Springfield, Massachusetts-based Abiding Truth Ministries, is currently being sued by a gay rights group in Uganda. The group claims that Lively ?conspired with religious and political leaders in Uganda to whip up anti-gay hysteria with warnings that gay people would sodomize African children and corrupt their culture? and that his speech is in part responsible for the persecution of gay people in Uganda

Have you got a cool million or two and a burning desire to live next door to President Barack Obama? You may be in luck.

As is the case across the United States, the economy is the dominant concern for voters in Virginia, but here abortion is such a hot issue that it could tip the balance on election day.

As is the case across the United States, the economy is the dominant concern for voters in Virginia, but here abortion is such a hot issue that it could tip the balance on election day.

A group has asked an Illinois court to intervene in a case challenging the state's ban on gay nuptials. A Christian conservative group opposed to gay marriage has asked an Illinois court to intervene in a case challenging the constitutionality of the state's gay marriage ban. The Illinois Family Institute presented oral arguments Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court, the Chicago Tribune reported. Attorney Bryan Beauman argued that allowing the group to defend the marriage law would ?even the playing field.? More than two dozen gay and lesbian couples who wish to marry in Illinois but are unable because state law defines marriage as a heterosexual union filed the lawsuit challenging the law in May. Nine couples are represented by the ACLU of Illinois, while Lambda Legal is representing sixteen couples. Beauman said the refusals of Illinois officials to defend the law in court creates ?a more compelling reason to let the Illinois Family Institute in to assist in the case.? Emily Nicklin

A year after Illinois approved civil unions for gay couples, support for marriage equality has increased in the state. ?A year after Illinois approved civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, support for marriage equality has increased in the state. According to a poll by Southern Illinois University's Simon Public Policy Institute, 44 percent of Illinois voters support legalizing gay marriage. That's an increase of 10 points from two years ago. Twenty percent remain opposed to such unions ? a decrease of 6 percent. A large majority (76%) support either marriage (44%) or civil unions (32%) for gay couples. ?We are thrilled and amazed that such a huge shift in public opinion related to marriage equality has occurred in just two years,? Randy Hannig, director of public policy for Equality Illinois, told Chicago Pride. ?As more and more gay and lesbian people courageously come out to their friends, family and coworkers, we continue to witness a change in perception from our straight love

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has reiterated his support for gay marriage. ?Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has reiterated his support for gay marriage. Appearing on the WBEZ radio, Quinn said he supports legalizing the institution in Illinois. Illinois state Representative Greg Harris, who is openly gay, filed a bill in the spring which would legalize such unions. The earliest lawmakers could take a vote on it is during the upcoming fall session. ?I do favor marriage equality. When that bill comes before the legislature I hope it passes and if it gets to my desk, I'll sign it,? said Quinn. Quinn came out in favor of marriage equality in May, following President Barack Obama's endorsement. The democrat signed a law establishing civil unions for gay and lesbian couples in Illinois last year. Supporters have also filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the state's ban on equal marriage rights for gay couples. (Related: Calls for Illinois Judge Sophia Hall to recuse herself from gay marria

US Representative Jesse Jackson Jr, who has been missing from Congress for weeks on unspecified medical leave, is being treated for depression at the Mayo Clinic, the Minnesota hospital said.