The Daily Illini: Volume 143 Issue 42

Page 1

THE DAILY ILLINI

WEDNESDAY November 6, 2013

55Ëš | 28Ëš

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

WWW.DAILYILLINI.COM

Vol. 143 Issue 41

|

FREE

LEGALIZING LOVE Illinois says ‘I do’ to same-sex marriage BY ELEANOR BLACK

I

STAFF WRITER

llinois is on its way to becoming the 15th state to recognize marriage equality. On Tuesday, after a two -hour debate, the House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 10 with 61 votes. The bill was then sent to the Senate, where it was quickly passed and is expected to be signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn. SB10, sponsored by Rep. Greg Harris, would change the definition of marriage in Illinois to an act between two people, thus allowing same-sex couples the same rights and protections currently given to married couples. Though the bill does not require religious institutions to perform same-sex marriage, some religious leaders believe it does not go far enough to protect their rights. One concern raised is that they may be forced to provide health insurance to an employee’s same-sex spouse. In a statement, President Barack Obama expressed his support of the LGBT community and Tuesday’s historic vote. “As president, I have always believed that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally under the law. Over time, I also came to believe that same-sex couples should be able to get married like anyone else,� he said in the statement. “So tonight, Michelle and I are overjoyed for all the committed couples in Illinois whose love will now be as legal as ours — and for their friends and family who have long wanted nothing more than to see their loved ones treated fairly and equally under the law.� Over the past year, the possibility of same-sex marriage in Illinois often seemed dim. In January, the proposal failed in a lame duck session, but the Senate later passed it on Feb. 14. At the end of spring session in May, there was no House vote, which left both sides to lobby lawmakers over the next few months. After the first week of the veto session passed without a vote last month, some

YOUR VOICE

Question: What do you think about the legalization of same-sex marriage in Illinois?

didn’t expect a resolution until next year. But SB10 received 61 votes, one more than the minimum needed to send it back to the Senate for Tuesday’s final vote. Praise has also rolled in on a more local level from Quinn, who has been a proponent of same-sex marriage in Illinois. “Illinois is a place that embraces all people and today, we are an example for the nation,� Quinn said. The governor also thanked those who made the vote possible. “I thank Rep. Greg Harris and Sen. Heather Steans, Speaker (Michael) Madigan and Senate President (John) Cullerton, the dedicated advocates who have worked day and night to get this bill to my desk, and members of the General Assembly who took a stand for equal rights,� he said. Once it is signed by Quinn, the bill will take effect on June 1, 2014. Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-103, co-sponsored the legislation. She rushed to Springfield from her home, where she was caring for an ill relative, because the vote was expected to be so tight and made it to the House floor shortly after the debate started. State Sen. Michael Frerichs supported the bill and praised Tuesday’s vote. “In the land of Lincoln, and to quote his famous words, ‘in order to form a more perfect union,’ I think it’s important that we join in concurring with the House and their action,� he said. “It took them awhile, but they came around on the right side of history.� Though it is uncertain when Quinn will sign the bill into law, he said the vote puts Illinois “on the right side of history.�

“I’m very happy that equality is finally coming up now, everyone should be treated equally. So it’s a good thing that it’s happening.�

(51,( <$1(= 401)0.03& */ -"4 “I think it’s long overdue. ... Even if it’s a sign of progress that individual states are legalizing gay marriage, I still think the federal government, with the courts, should sort of have a broader national ruling that states shouldn’t be able to discriminate against sexual orientation.�

+$1$ 1$66(5 401)0.03& */ -"4 “I grew up in a religious family that was kind of against it, I wouldn’t say I’m really against it. It’s their rights, and if they want to do something, then I guess it’s fine. It’s their freedom, I’m not going to try to force them to say it’s really wrong, even though I grew up in a family that was totally against it. I’m not going to preach the word like ‘Oh, gay marriage is wrong’ – if that’s what they want to do, that’s their right.�

The Chicago Tribune contributed to this report.

',//21 *2=80 '3&4)."/ */ -"4

Eleanor can be reached at eablack2@dailyillini.com.

EDITORIAL BOARD WELCOMES YEAR OF LGBT RIGHTS

SEE 4A

This bill is long overdue. Marriage equality in this state was inevitable. The legislation hit many roadblocks along the way, but now the path is clear. When Gov. Pat Quinn signs the bill, Illinoisans will join the 14 other states that have already recognized the importance of marriage. Illinois, welcome to 2013, the year of LGBT rights.

BY ELI MURRAY STAFF WRITER

Urbana Department of Public Works signed an agreement on Oct. 23 to purchase 16.96 acres of land from the owners of Heimburger Farm near the 4800 block of North Lincoln Avenue. The land is to be used in the construction of the Olympian Drive project. Once completed, the project will connect Olympian Drive with North Lincoln Avenue just west of the purchased tract of land . The project includes a bridge spanning five railroad tracks, which are owned by Illinois Central Railroad Company. “This is a project that was approved many years ago,� said Urbana Mayor Laurel Prussing. The land was purchased for $35,000 per acre or $593,600 in total. Bill Gray, director of public works, said the purchase was fully funded by Illinois Jobs Now! and that the city wouldn’t be paying anything out-of-pocket for the land. Furthermore, he said, the cost of the planned construction is entirely covered by Illinois Jobs Now!, the Illinois Commerce Commission and the federal highway bill. While the tract lies just east of the planned construction, the land is an instrumental piece of the project, accord-

Representative talks about new memoir BY TAYLOR ODISHO STAFF WRITER ZACH DALZELL THE DAILY ILLINI

Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez addresses immigration reform and his recently published memoir “Still Dreaming: My Journey from the Barrio to Capitol Hill.� Tuesday in Gregory Hall. would be sitting across the table from the president in the Oval Office,� Gutierrez said. After working these jobs, Gutierrez worked as a Chicago Public School teacher and then at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. He and his wife eventually saved enough money to buy a “bungalow,� they had a daughter and he was happy. He described how he used to watch “Mork & Mindy.� He attend weddings, baptisms and birthdays, and he spent time with his family on the weekends. He had a small family and, as Gutierrez said, “life was good.� Gutierrez’s passions changed the day someone knocked on his door to promote mayoral candidate Bernard Epton under the slogan, “before it’s too late.� Epton was running against Harold Washington, an African Amer-

DAILYILLINI, DAILYILLINISPORTS

INSIDE

Police

2A

$1'< '5$&./(< '3&4)."/ */ "$&4

Local council buys farm to build new purposed bridge

Congressman discusses US immigration policy reform

U.S. Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, D-Chicago, was the first Latino elected into Congress from the Midwest. He came to Gregory Hall on Tuesday to talk to hundreds of attendees about his views on immigration reform and to promote his memoir, “Still Dreaming: My Journey from the Barrio to Capitol Hill.� “Barrio� means neighborhood in Spanish. Gutierrez was born in Chicago in 1953 and was raised in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. After his first year in high school, his family moved to Puerto Rico, but Gutierrez eventually returned to Chicago to earn a bachelor’s degree in English from Northeastern Illinois University. After he graduated, he married his wife, Soraida. During college, and for some time afterwards, Gutierrez worked odd jobs to make ends meet, including taxi cab driving, cutting pig innards and sweeping the floor of an unsuccessful restaurant. “If you would’ve seen me, you wouldn’t have seen somebody who

“I’m really excited because my oldest brother is gay, so it makes it happy that he can do everything that I can now, in terms of marriage.�

ican politician. Epton lost, and Washington went on to be the first African-American mayor of Chicago. “I’m always happy about those guys that showed up at my door with that racist attitude,� Gutierrez said. After that day, Gutierrez made a vow to stay connected to his community, and once he made that connection, he said there was a constant revolution. He worked under Mayor Washington and eventually became a member of Chicago City Council. From there, he ran for Congress. Gutierrez has written his memoir to show readers his journey to where he is today. “I thought it was a story worth telling so that people could say, ‘I’ll be able to do lots of stuff —

SEE GUTIERREZ | 3A

Horoscopes

2A

|

Opinions

4A

|

Crossword

5A

|

Comics

5A

|

Life

&

will become a regional detention basin to collect run-off water. The project will allow motorists a new route of traffic and commerce, Gray said. Construction is slated to begin sometime next year, contingent on the Illinois Commerce Commission’s approval for the bridge. Until then, the

SEE HEIMBURGER | 3A

3URSRVHG FRQVWUXFWLRQ WR FRQQHFW 2O\PSLDQ 'ULYH DQG 1RUWK /LQFROQ $YHQXH 5IF QVSDIBTF PG UIF )FJNCVSHFS USBDU BMMPXT 6SCBOB UP DPOUJOVF XJUI QMBOT UP CFHJO DPOTUSVDUJPO QSPKFDUT PO 0MZNQJBO %SJWF BOE /PSUI -JODPMO "WFOVF NORTH LINCOLN AVENUE

PROJECT A PROPOSED BRIDGE

16.96 ACRE HEIMBERGER FARM TRACT

OLYMPIAN DRIVE

PROJECT X

MARKET STREET

ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY

4063$& $IBNQBJHO $JUZ $PVODJM

(81,( .,0 5)& %"*-: *--*/*

@THEDAILYILLINI

THEDAILYILLINI

@THEDAILYILLINI, @DI_OPINION, @DI_SPORTS |

ing to a memo from the Department of Public Works. “The subject tract is necessary for use as a borrow pit for clay material to build the east bridge cone or embankment for the proposed bridge over the Illinois Central Railroad tracks,� according to the memo addressed to the City Council. Once the clay is taken from the nearly 17-acre property, it

Culture

6A

|

Sports

1B

|

Classifieds

THEDAILYILLINI 3B

|

Sudoku

3B

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.