A gay marriage bill in Illinois was approved by an executive committee and will advance to a full vote in the state House. The committee vote was along party lines with a 6-5 vote, but the bill, which would make same-sex marriage legal in the land of Lincoln, was enough to move forward. Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has already vowed to sign the bill into law.
A date on the House vote has not been set, however proponents of the bill said a vote could take place as soon as March 6. If the bill gets the 60 votes it needs to pass in the House, which is considered more conservative than the state Senate, it will then go to the desk of Gov. Quinn.
Illinois has recognized civil unions since June 2011. If the bill is signed into law, it would make Illinois the tenth U.S. state to offer legal same-sex marriage.