![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Illinois people, heads up!
Mar. 4th, 2005 07:58 amReps Take On New Law On Gays
By Ed Fanselow
SPRINGFIELD - A group of conservative Fox Valley lawmakers said this week that they aren't giving up their fight against the hotly debated gay-rights bill signed into state law earlier this year.
Republican state Senators Chris Lauzen of Aurora, Ed Petka of Plainfield, Peter Roskam of Wheaton, Brad Burzynski of Sycamore and Steve Rauschenberger of Elgin are sponsoring legislation that would repeal the new law, which prohibits employers, lenders and landlords from discriminating against homosexuals.
"This is our way of saying that we're not going to wave the white flag, throw up our hands and surrender," said Petka, who claims the gay-rights bill has "virtually no support" among his constituents in Aurora, Oswego and northwestern Will County.
"This is our chance to right a wrong."
Although the Republican-sponsored bill stands little chance even of being called for a vote in the Democrat-controlled Senate, Lauzen said he wants to "give a voice to the majority of voters in the Fox Valley and throughout Illinois who aren't ready to concede this area of our culture."
"If this idea ever went to a referendum," he said, "it would fail overwhelmingly."
((WTF?!?! 'Concede culture'?? Stupid asshole, he makes it sound like OMGTEHGAYZRCUMMING2BRAINWASHUALL!!!!!!!!!!!1 ))
The bill passed the Senate by just one vote before moving to the House, where it was approved by a much stronger 65 - 51 majority.
In that chamber, state Rep. Randy Hultgren, R-Wheaton, also has filed legislation that would repeal the law.
He says that since the bill was heard during January's abbreviated veto session, "a full debate was never able to take place."
"There are several issues with that are still unresolved," Hultgren said, noting that several Republicans were misled to believe that the legislation includes exemptions for churches and schools.
"I've heard from several Christian schools, including Wheaton College, that are very concerned about the ramifications," he said. "There are a lot of unanswered questions."
Still, more than a dozen House Republicans - including Patricia Reid Lindner of Sugar Grove and Joe Dunn of Naperville - crossed party lines to vote in favor of the bill in January.
Dunn said he already has been approached by conservatives hoping that he will change his vote if the bill is called to the floor again.
"I told them we already fought that battle, and they lost," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's over, and there's no need to bring it up again."
Heralded by gay-rights groups as "historic" and "long overdue," the equal-rights bill was sponsored by Rep. Larry McKeon, a Chicago Democrat and the Illinois Legislature's only openly gay lawmaker.
In signing the bill, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said the measure "sends a clear message that we will not allow our citizens to be discriminated against."
By Ed Fanselow
SPRINGFIELD - A group of conservative Fox Valley lawmakers said this week that they aren't giving up their fight against the hotly debated gay-rights bill signed into state law earlier this year.
Republican state Senators Chris Lauzen of Aurora, Ed Petka of Plainfield, Peter Roskam of Wheaton, Brad Burzynski of Sycamore and Steve Rauschenberger of Elgin are sponsoring legislation that would repeal the new law, which prohibits employers, lenders and landlords from discriminating against homosexuals.
"This is our way of saying that we're not going to wave the white flag, throw up our hands and surrender," said Petka, who claims the gay-rights bill has "virtually no support" among his constituents in Aurora, Oswego and northwestern Will County.
"This is our chance to right a wrong."
Although the Republican-sponsored bill stands little chance even of being called for a vote in the Democrat-controlled Senate, Lauzen said he wants to "give a voice to the majority of voters in the Fox Valley and throughout Illinois who aren't ready to concede this area of our culture."
"If this idea ever went to a referendum," he said, "it would fail overwhelmingly."
((WTF?!?! 'Concede culture'?? Stupid asshole, he makes it sound like OMGTEHGAYZRCUMMING2BRAINWASHUALL!!!!!!!!!!!1 ))
The bill passed the Senate by just one vote before moving to the House, where it was approved by a much stronger 65 - 51 majority.
In that chamber, state Rep. Randy Hultgren, R-Wheaton, also has filed legislation that would repeal the law.
He says that since the bill was heard during January's abbreviated veto session, "a full debate was never able to take place."
"There are several issues with that are still unresolved," Hultgren said, noting that several Republicans were misled to believe that the legislation includes exemptions for churches and schools.
"I've heard from several Christian schools, including Wheaton College, that are very concerned about the ramifications," he said. "There are a lot of unanswered questions."
Still, more than a dozen House Republicans - including Patricia Reid Lindner of Sugar Grove and Joe Dunn of Naperville - crossed party lines to vote in favor of the bill in January.
Dunn said he already has been approached by conservatives hoping that he will change his vote if the bill is called to the floor again.
"I told them we already fought that battle, and they lost," he said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's over, and there's no need to bring it up again."
Heralded by gay-rights groups as "historic" and "long overdue," the equal-rights bill was sponsored by Rep. Larry McKeon, a Chicago Democrat and the Illinois Legislature's only openly gay lawmaker.
In signing the bill, Gov. Rod Blagojevich said the measure "sends a clear message that we will not allow our citizens to be discriminated against."
