Senate Pres. John Cullerton: My chamber will 'repass' gay marriage if it would bring House action

State Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) told the Sun-Times on Thursday that he was willing to call same-sex marriage for a vote — for a second time — if that meant it would boost momentum in the Illinois House.

“Inaction is in the House,” he said when asked whether the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling would spur action in Springfield. The state Senate passed same-sex marriage on Valentine’s Day. But the House adjourned on May 31 without calling the measure for a vote.

`”I am working with the House sponsor to see if there’s anything that I can do,” Cullerton told the Sun-Times, who caught up with the lawmaker after a City Club of Chicago luncheon where David Axelrod headlined. “If they want us to repass the bill which would require another vote in the Senate with a changed effective date. If that would help, we’d be more than happy to try to do that.”

Both chambers adjourned without reaching compromise on a major pension overhaul or casino legislation, leading to rampant speculation that the bills either fell victim to political sabotage or that there was a conflict between the leaders of the two chambers. After the senate voted down a Michael Madigan-backed pension bill, the Speaker remarked that it was due to a “lack of leadership.”

“Usually the second chamber, it’s easier to vote for a bill because your senator has already voted for it.

A lot of people have said we’ll wait to see what the U.S. Supreme Court, well they’ve acted.

This is such an inevitability, figure it out guys. Let’s get this done.”

“I understand the politics of this,” Cullerton added. “I understand the logic of waiting but obviously, the young people … all the people under 40 who support this want this to happen as soon as possible.”