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Ill. Senate committee OKs gay marriage again

By WEEK Producer
February 5, 2013 Updated Feb 6, 2013 at 10:05 AM CDT

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- An Illinois Senate committee has approved legalizing gay marriage for the second time in a month.

The Executive Committee voted 9-5 to move same sex marriage legislation to the Senate floor.

Democrats now have a 40 member majority and say they have the needed votes. The same committee OK'd a similar measure in the final days of the last General Assembly, but a floor vote was scrapped because supporters were short of the necessary votes.

Sponsoring Sen. Heather Steans reworded the legislation at insistence of Republicans. The new language makes clear that places of worship do not have to open their doors to gay marriage ceremonies.

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