OLNEY - With the recent lawsuits filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County challenging the prohibition of same-sex marriage in the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, State Representative David Reis (R-Ste. Marie) is co-sponsoring a resolution that upholds the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.
“It is time for the General Assembly to reaffirm their support for Illinois laws reserving the institution of marriage between one man and one woman,” Rep. Reis said. “The people I represent are adamantly opposed to same-sex marriage and troubled by our Attorney General’s recent dereliction of duty by not defending our state’s policy on marriage.”
House Joint Resolution 95 shows support for Illinois laws reserving the institution of marriage to one man and one woman. The resolution declares the General Assembly's opposition to any efforts to extend the institution of marriage to two individuals of the same sex, whether by statute or by court decision.
The resolution further urges the members of the General Assembly to adopt a constitutional amendment (HJRCA 50) introduced by Rep. Reis stating "only a marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in Illinois.”
“This extremely controversial issue should not be decided in the courts. It should be decided by the people,” Rep. Reis said. “The only real way to solve this is by a vote on a constitutional amendment.”
Earlier this year, Attorney General Lisa Madigan stated her office would not defend the state’s marriage definition by law, saying her office will “present the court with arguments that explain why the challenged statutory provisions do not satisfy the guarantee of equality under the Illinois Constitution.”
In June, Rep. Reis sent a letter to Attorney General Lisa Madigan stating his strong opposition to her recent decision to not defend the state’s definition of marriage. “This is yet another example of Madigan using a possible decision of an activist court system over the wisdom and wishes of the citizens of Illinois,” Rep. Reis said.
To date, Reis has not received a response from the Attorney General’s office.
In absence of the Attorney General’s legal defense, two downstate county clerks represented by the Thomas More Society, were granted the right to intervene against the two lawsuits and defend the state’s same-sex marriage ban.
Rep. Reis continued, “All concerned residents of the state that want Illinois to uphold its laws and safeguard the institution of marriage are encouraged to call their state representative and senator and ask them to support an amendment to the Illinois Constitution clearly defining marriage. If we don’t, this issue might very well get decided in the courts.”
Related Illinois Review posts:
- Legal vigilantism: Alvarez and Madigan take marriage law into their own hands
- Reis Objects to Attorney General's Support of DOMA Lawsuit
- Legal opinions differ over Madigan and Alvarez' refusal to defend state marriage
law - Downstate county clerks move to defend gay marriage ban
- Judge grants third party counsel to defend Illinois' DOMA
- Any county clerks think Illinois law is worth defending?
- Lisa Madigan thumbs nose at defending Illinois Constitution
