Several Illinois lawmakers are hard at work to make civil unions legal in Illinois.

If passed, the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Bill will provide protection of property, visitation rights and other basic allowances couples receive upon marriage, though the couples would not be legally married.

State Rep. Greg Harris introduced the bill to state legislatures and said it is aimed to protect and support same-sex couples, as well as elderly heterosexual couples. Harris said this bill was the result of seeing too much pain and suffering among these couples in his community.

“[Community members] had a loved one in the hospital, and they could not visit or they could not participate in their health care decision-making,” Harris said. “That became all too familiar a story.”

Harris said civil unions give partners the ability to make emergency medical decisions, the right to make their parents’ funeral arrangements, the right to live with their partner in a nursing home or hospital room and the right to several tax breaks.

The Illinois civil union bill passed through the house committee on March 5 and is about to go through review in the full house, Harris said. He expects the bill to be passed in the next few months.

“I’m guessing late April or early May,” Harris said. “There is not a firm time table, but I think that is a good estimate. I am just thrilled it has gotten this far in a couple of months.”

The bill was delayed a few months due to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s impeachment trial, Harris said.

Harris worked closely with the group Civil Union Illinois and used their website, CivilUnionIllinois.org, as a lobbying and information forum for the bill.

Civil Union Illinois is a website for supporters and people interested in the bill. Supporters find information they need to contact their local legislators and news and events concerning the civil union bill, said website creator Chris Jessup.

“[Civil Union Illinois] is an online advocacy organization,” Jessup said. “It started in January 2008, and it will end whenever we have civil unions.”

Jessup said he is a supporter of civil unions and said they are a “fundamental right for all people.” He also said he is fortunate enough in his year and a few months on the job not to have come across people who do not support the bill, but he knows they are out there.

“I have heard there are groups against the bill,” Jessup said. “But I think people would be surprised with the support it is getting.”

The Illinois American Civil Liberties Union is also in support of the bill. The Illinois ACLU, similar to Civil Union Illinois, provides a letter on its website that can be signed by supporters and sent to state representatives in support of civil unions.

The ACLU was receiving a lot of requests from same-sex couples as well as elderly couples for help receiving legal protection, said Ed Yohnka, ACLU spokesperson.

“This [bill] is really about families in a time when the economy is in a very difficult position,” Yohnka said.

“Families who face very tough circumstances because they don’t have the same legal protections that people who are married are offered.”

Yohnka said this issue is “critical.”

“These people are one accident away from not being able to visit their partner in the hospital,” Yohnka said.

“These are folks who don’t even have the basic protection that I think people look for in these difficult times.”

Civil unions are not the same as gay marriage, but Harris said that civil unions are a step in that direction.

Gay marriage provides all the same rights as civil unions, and also gives couples a legal marriage license and title. Civil unions do not protect couples in a state that does not have legal civil unions. Unlike legalized marriage, civil unions become null and void when couples cross state lines.

“[Gay marriage] is a different vote for a different day in Illinois,” Harris said.

Yohnka said he agrees with Harris that Illinois is not yet “there” when it comes to gay marriage legislation, but that it will happen someday.

“One day, we will all look back on this and wonder why it took so long to get to marriage equality,” Yohnka said. “Civil unions are a good compromise.”

If Illinois passes the civil union bill this spring, it will be the first Midwestern state to do so.

When the bill passed in the house committee, Harris said people had done “the right thing.” He said people listened to testimony and made the correct choice.

Yohnka said Illinois’ passing of the bill could lead to other states doing so, too.

“Illinois is the home state of the President of the United States and the president supports civil unions,” Yohnka said. “It seems to me that would help other places do the same as Illinois.”

from not being able to visit their partner in the hospital,” Yohnka said. “These are folks who don’t even have the basic protection that I think people look for in these difficult times.”

Civil unions are not the same as gay marriage, but Harris said that civil unions are a step in that direction.

Gay marriage provides all the same rights as civil unions, and also gives couples a legal marriage license and title. Civil unions do not protect couples in a state that does not have legal civil unions. Unlike legalized marriage, civil unions become null and void when couples cross state lines.

“[Gay marriage] is a different vote for a different day in Illinois,” Harris said.

Yohnka said Illinois is not yet “there” when it comes to gay marriage legislation, but that it will happen someday.

“One day, we will all look back on this and wonder why it took so long to get to marriage equality,” Yohnka said. “Civil unions are a good compromise.”

If Illinois passes the civil union bill this spring, it will be the first midwestern state to do so. Yohnka said Illinois’ passing of the bill could lead to other states doing so, too.

“Illinois is the home state of the president of the United States, and the president supports civil unions,” Yohnka said. “It seems to me that would help other places do the same as Illinois.”

For more information on the bill, visit CivilUnionIllinois.org.