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ed Yonkers whether she's the director communications & public policy at the
ACLU of Illinois
by the way after after we're done talking with just a reminder that
anything goes Friday so if there's anything that you wanna
a go off on feel free ad welcome to the program
I just hope tom that no one will want to go off on me
I that no other they tend to do that to me I
by the way your website is ACLU dash great to be here
thank you your website is ACLU dash I L right dot org
correct okay a great so as in I like Illinois
armor tell us what happen in Cook County today well this morning a federal judge
in Cook County
issued a ruling in the case that we had brought along with our
colleagues at Lambda Legal from the Midwest office here in Chicago
finding that the current
illinois-based and iiNet the freedom to marry for same-sex couples
is unconstitutional this is the case that we brought
after the Illinois legislature passed I
8 marriage equality law which takes place on June 1st
but today the a today the court found
that the Cook County Clerk David Orr had to begin issuing marriage licenses
immediately and I can tell you having just been over his office a few minutes
ago
there are people waiting in line and they are getting their marriage licenses
today
yeah he's got to be slammed now does this apply just to cook county or just
to him
well here's the here's the backdrop be order to begin issuing them
applies just to hear the broader reach the ruling is is that the car in
Illinois Bay and has been found unconstitutional
we believe that bad sure the encourage clerks in other counties
to recognize that they don't want to be in a position to enforce a wet his bed
what is now an unconstitutional law
and we think that they are to be in a position to go ahead and start issuing
licenses it's unclear at this hour whether or not
clerks in other counties will but the good news is that
you know I think I significant percentage if not a majority
up marriages to take place in Illinois every year
take place in Cook County and anyone can come to cook county as of this moment
and get a marriage license as long as they're married
in Cook County mmm was gonna be great for the marriage was the six pack
patio I over the next few months our marriage playing friends are very happy
right at this moment
yeah arm is so I and and I
there's a really interesting backstory to this the starter dow
with a cop all where all 12 members the couple had been fighting breast cancer
for
a seventeen years is our some long time and she didn't have very long to live
and I she and her partner want to get married before she died so that the
the the the benefits of marriage would accrue to her partner in terms of
inheritance and
and visitation all those other things before her last day is should we say
are do have a ride yeah it's a little bit it's even a little bit
I suppose arm the a broader than bad in there
so what happened was is after we patch the marriage legislation Illinois on
November 15 Governor Quinn signed it into law on
Governor Pat Quinn signed it into law on November 20th
because of the way our that it was passed in a veto session or in a fall
fashion it doesn't become
the the building are the water doesn't go into effect until june 1st
for people where one or the other couple have a serious illness
I you know that's a long time to wait and in fact it could mean the fair
tonight not just the benefits but frankly the dignity of marriage before
they die
in I in fact one of the couples that we were able to secure
are truly for you know what a compounder
under our requests have let couples who had that situation mary immediately
I you know one of the partners in in in one of those marriages just passed away
last week
XO pain that was one element of this
but we also included in it the broader challenge to the marriage law
I met with the judge ruled on this morning so
you know the we've we've had in place for a couple of weeks
above I'm sorry for a few weeks a system that I
where a doctor attested that one or the other couple
might not leave until june 1st couples were able to secure licenses and get
married in
and a number of people there to help us a small number but
a number people dead but this obviously bronze it out and allows
couples to begin you know marrying piano is early as this weekend here in the
state of Illinois
now I i read this decision and I'm or this ruling the memorandum opinion and
order and
Brenda Lee Ann Lee edwards et cetera a I'm behalf for themselves a
BD David or and the defendant the in the Cook County Clerk
and basically there was no defense presented a you know because the
the county the the state did not say
know we want to assert our right to prevent you from getting married until
June
the the judges ensure correct me if I'm wrong on this the judge essentially said
you know nobody's fighting this thing so you know and and makes perfect sense and
and
a bill is so that the law violates the constitution so go for it
bomb *** shouldn't that then just I'm a lot if
if first of if that's accurate now or even close to accurate doesn't that mean
that if any other county clerk anywhere in the state of Illinois
were to just go ahead issue licenses right now in marriages were performed
because the state has not taken a position that they're gonna fight this
that the the probabilities of somebody's marriage being considered not
ballot are pretty close to zero
I first two are you reading up the opinion and the order and
the fax are correct I there wit with
absolutely a wonderful saying bad are
you know that David or who's the Clark County
are Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan
and every have never opposed a
the freedom to marry for same-sex couples and actually in an earlier state
lawsuit we have brought
they had joined our side so so that has been one of the really wonderful things
about this and and and has been particularly
I I think courageous on their pride and and really
you know recognizing where the dignity in the equity fall in this
some we believe that you the other half what you've said is precisely right
that any other clerk can read this decision and today
that the judges found the law unconstitutional
that the state has taken a position that that is the appropriate finding
and that therefore they could begin in should begin
armed issue licenses in the other 101 Illinois counties
as soon as possible on and so
you know we're very very hopeful that a number of them will do that I A you know
I mean I think we recognize that
that that may take a few days is people read through the decision then
and you know consult with their legal staff but but we're hopeful that that
will happen
I you know in the in the next few days in counties across the state of Illinois
do you are you are you suggesting as as II
that that are you returning it I am NOT okay I just play one on the radio K
well in a in a case are II so so it sounds like it that
if any county clerks are listening or anybody who's wants to
go talk to a county clerk you know few of the very courteous fashion
on other than mister or arm the
that basically they could be reasonably assured
that they're not gonna aid the not only are they not gonna get in any trouble
here
but that they're doing the right thing in a legally as well as morally
that's certainly what we believe in and and we hope that a number of them as
they said will step up in the next few days and do exactly that
yeah they were we're very hopeful that that that is in fact but is up to the
discretion of the individual county clerks right now
you know as of this moment backs that's where we're at and
and I think that you know a number of them you know have been watching and
monitoring
this litigation the legislation and in our state capital in the fall
the earlier state suit so I think that felt they have a good background in this
I think they've had
a lot of grounding in this and I think they'll be in a place where they'll be
able to make a decision
right and now this is a federal court US District Court were your batting
like you know 1000 him in the in the district court federal court after
federal court across the United States has been
knocking down these bands on same-sex marriage a.m. it
if you if you read that you said you read them the the opinion that s pretty
good
one of the things that I thought was really wonderful was that the judge
you know pointed out that the question really is rule to
you know what you know for not from why
or why should people wake you why not he's actually quoted doctor martin
luther king is they say you know that the time is always right
do what's right I'm and that is really the moment we've reached all across the
country on this issue
yeah the brilliant great thanks so much for being with us at
here hang on to say it this is the Thom Hartmann program that Eddie on K's the
director communications & public policy with the ACLU of Illinois their website
is ACLU dash
I L .org will be back it's anything goes Friday