Illinois is halfway to becoming the 10th state to legalize same-sex marriage.
That bill cleared the Illinois Senate on a Valentine's Day vote of 34-to-21. It's the farthest a same-sex marriage bill has ever gotten in the General Assembly.
The measure now moves to the House, and if it passes there, Governor Pat Quinn has vowed to sign it.
Supporters say the time has come to extend full marriage rights to all couples, but opponents say the bill would force religious people to accept relationships they consider sinful and sacrilegious.
