July, 17 2013, 02:00pm EDT
Illinois Unites Relaunches Efforts to Pass Freedom to Marry Bill
SPRINGFIELD
Illinois Unites for Marriage announced a revamped campaign today to pass freedom to marry legislation in the state, where a bill stalled in the House in the previous session after passing in the Senate. The relaunch includes the hiring of John Kohlhepp, a longtime organizer and lobbyist, to run a $2 million campaign that will include statewide public outreach.
Richard Carlbom, director of state campaigns at Freedom to Marry, released the following statement:
"It's a new day in Illinois, with a fresh strategy to bring the freedom to marry to all loving and committed couples in the state. In the wake of historic rulings for marriage at the Supreme Court, Freedom to Marry and our partners are reenergized for this new phase of the campaign, and more committed than ever to following through for the win. With smart mobilization at Illinois Unites and continued leadership in the Legislature, we'll make Illinois the next marriage state this session."
Freedom to Marry remains an active member of Illinois Unites for Marriage, providing strategic and messaging guidance and managing its online work. In addition to Illinois, we are working to win marriage in Hawaii, New Jersey and Oregon in 2013/2014 and are also laying the groundwork to win six more states by 2015-2016, through a mix of Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
Freedom to Marry is the gay and non-gay partnership working to win marriage equality nationwide. Headed by Evan Wolfson, one of America's leading civil rights advocates and lawyers, Freedom to Marry brings new resources and a renewed context of urgency and opportunity to this social justice movement.
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Guterres "is particularly concerned over the hundreds of Israeli airstrikes on several locations in Syria" and has stressed the "urgent need to de-escalate violence on all fronts throughout the country," said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.
Israel claims its invasion and bombardment of Syria—which come as the United States and Turkey have also violated Syrian sovereignty with air and ground attacks—are meant to create a security buffer along the countries' shared border in the wake of last week's fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and amid the IDF's ongoing assault on Gaza, which has killed or wounded more than 162,000 Palestinians and is the subject of an International Court of Justice genocide case.
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)—a co-sponsor of Sanders' Medicare for All Act—similarly toldHuffPost in a Tuesday interview, "The visceral response from people across this country who feel cheated, ripped off, and threatened by the vile practices of their insurance companies should be a warning to everyone in the healthcare system."
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