Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) returned to the Senate on Friday following a year away because of his stroke. I write about the next chapter of his Senate career--and where he can make a difference--HERE.

SPRINGFIELD-Senate Democrats appeared to wave the white flag Thursday on gay marriage and guns with Senate President John Cullerton conceding there "may be even more support" for the hot-button issues next spring.
That stony assessment came on a frenzied legislative day when the Senate advanced legislation out of committee to legalize gay marriage but stood silent on bids to ban military-style guns and the ammunition that feeds them.
With the lame-duck General Assembly poised to finish its two-year term next Wednesday, the failure to pass gay-marriage or gun-control packages to the House demonstrated that math wasn't on the side of supporters of the high-profile legislation and enhanced the likelihood of a slew of unfinished business spilling into the spring, including pension reform, Gov. Pat Quinn's highest priority for the lame-duck session.
"We start up again next Wednesday, and I think that on these issues there may be even more support for them in the next General Assembly," Cullerton (D-Chicago) said, speaking of guns and gay marriage.
The potential demise of gay-marriage leaves President Barack Obama and state GOP chairman Pat Brady with a degree of egg on their faces.
By wading back into the chaotic affairs of the Illinois Legislature and urging passage of the bill last weekend, the president invested his prestige in the debate's outcome while Brady faces certain backlash from his party's conservative flank for urging Republicans to back gay marriage when a final vote wasn't even taken.
Cullerton was non-committal about having the Senate come back next Tuesday, saying that would depend on whether the House managed to legalize gay marriage, enact stiff gun-control measures on its own or move packages cutting state pensions - possibilities widely regarded as a steeper legislative climb than in the Senate.
The House comes to Springfield late Sunday and is scheduled to be in session through next Tuesday.
In the Senate, the wheels came off the gay-marriage wagon Thursday after three key supporters wound up being absent, leaving the roll call being assembled by the bill's backers below the 30 votes needed for passage by the full Senate.
The absent senators included retiring Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston), who was in Israel; Senate Majority Leader James Clayborne (D-Belleville), who had a family health crisis emerge involving his son; and Sen. Suzi Schmidt (R-Lake Villa), whose mother died.
At one point during the day, backers of the gay-marriage bill went so far as to try persuading Schoenberg to tender his resignation from the Senate and allow his successor, Rep. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston), to be seated, meaning a pick-up of a gay-marriage vote. But that plan fizzled.
So instead, the legislation got a lengthy hearing in the Senate Executive Committee, which voted 8-5 to move the bill to the Senate floor.
Republicans were against the measure. But Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) left open the possibility of "bi-partisan support" if changes were made to appease worries of religious leaders, who testified Thursday about their concerns over how the legislation would impact churches opposed to gay marriage.
State Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), the marriage bill's chief Senate sponsor, held out hope for a Tuesday vote but also acknowledged her issue might have to wait until after a new, more Democratic-version of the Legislature is seated Wednesday
"This is totally a question of when we're going to do it, not if we're going to do it," she said. "If for some reason we don't have all our members here and can't do it next week, I've been assured we'll do it very early on in the next session."
On guns, the Senate Wednesday advanced out of committee two bills that would ban an array of automatic and semi-automatic weapons plus the ammunition they need to operate.
But the measures withered under a furious pushback from the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights advocates, who told the Sun-Times Thursday that neither measure had more than 27 or 28 votes in the Senate, shy of the 30 needed for passage.
Cullerton acknowledged the votes weren't there for either gun bill but said "we learned about potential ways to enhance those bills. Those bills, of course, will be taken up in the next General Assembly."

SPRINGFIELD-In a day of fits and starts, a Senate panel approved a bid Thursday to make Illinois the 10th state to legalize gay marriage, paving the way for a possible floor vote next Tuesday.
Gay and lesbian couples and their supporters, many of whom wore bow ties in an act of unity, burst into applause and hugs when the Senate Executive Committee voted 8-5 to send the legislation to the Senate floor.
It was a party-line vote, with Republicans voting en masse against the plan and Democrats backing the concept of the new legal recognition sought by gay and lesbian and other civil rights advocates.
"Same-sex couples want to marry for the same reasons we all do," said Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), chief Senate sponsor of the gay-marriage legislation.
The measure hit a series of snags this week, starting with a procedural misstep that kept it from being heard by the Senate panel as planned on Wednesday. Then, on Thursday, three key supporters were absent, leaving Steans without the necessary 30 votes to send the legislation to the House.
While Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) remained mum early Thursday evening about scheduling, Steans said her intention is to seek a full floor vote in the Senate next Tuesday, a day before this version of the General Assembly ends its two-year run and new group of legislators is seated.
"This is totally a question of when we're going to do it, not if we're going to do it," she said. "If for some reason we don't have all our members here and can't do it next week, I've been assured we'll do it very early on in the next session."
In a statement issued shortly after 6 p.m., Cullerton said he is "confident" the measure can pass but stopped short of saying when.
"Today, a few key senators could not be here for family reasons. What's important when we reconvene is that we work to protect and strengthen all Illinois families, and that's what this legislation does," Cullerton said. "I'm confident we can advance this bill in the coming weeks."
Earlier in the day, Steans identified the missing supporters as Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston), who is on a trip to Israel; Senate Majority Leader James Clayborne (D-Belleville), whose son had a medical emergency; and Sen. Suzi Schmidt (R-Lake Villa), whose mother died.
At the committee, where more than 150 people packed into an ornate Senate chamber, Republicans hammered away at the bill, saying it would force churches opposed to gay marriages to permit gay and lesbian couples to use their facilities despite possible objections.
But a group of religious leaders was even more forceful, saying changing state law to give gay and lesbian couples the same legal recognition as heterosexual couples when it comes to marriage would represent a distortion of natural law.
"Neither two men nor two women can possibly form a marriage. Our law would be wrong if it said they could," said Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, who heads the Roman Catholic diocese in Springfield.
"As Cardinal George has stated, when ways of nature and nature's God conflict with civil law, society is in danger," Paprocki told the panel.

WASHINGTON--A year after a stroke, Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) made a triumphant return to the Senate on Thursday, climbing the stairs to the chamber with Vice President Joe Biden and others as his colleagues applauded his come back. Sun-Times photographer Jon Sall captured the climb.

WASHINGTON--Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Thursday urged members of the Illinois General Assembly to legalize gay marriage in Illinois as the measure faced an unexpected roadblock in the Illinois State Senate on Wednesday.

In a letter to state lawmakers sent Thursday Durbin said he rarely intervenes in measures pending in Springfield "But as a citizen of this Land of Lincoln I want to be clearly on record in regard to an issue of historic importance.

"I believe those whom God has brought to this Earth with a different sexual orientation and who seek a loving relationship in the eyes of the law should be given that opportunity.

"I urge you to vote for Marriage Equality in Illinois so that our state can be part of the emerging national consensus on this issue of justice.

(Complete text of the letter is below.)

Chicago Sun-Times Springfield Bureau Chief Dave McKinney is reporting the measure "suffered an unexpected setback Wednesday when supporters fell two votes shy of getting the legislative hearing they wanted, meaning no Senate vote on the measure until Thursday at the earliest.The 28-24 procedural vote showed the razor-thin margins surrounding the contentious issue and clearly caught backers off-guard, thwarting their plan to advance the measure to the Senate floor Wednesday night."

Durbin's letter is the latest push from key Democratic elected officials urging the state legislature to pass the gay marriage bill. Earlier, President Barack Obama also issued a state urging his former colleagues to vote yes.

LETTER FROM SEN. DICK DURBIN TO MEMBERS OF THE ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

January 3, 2013

Dear Friend,

I don't often write to express my position on issues before the General Assembly.

But as a citizen of this Land of Lincoln I want to be clearly on record in regard to an issue of historic importance.

I believe those whom God has brought to this Earth with a different sexual orientation and who seek a loving relationship in the eyes of the law should be given that opportunity.

I urge you to vote for Marriage Equality in Illinois so that our state can be part of the emerging national consensus on this issue of justice.

In America every religion has a right to establish standards for its members and to express its position on moral issues for consideration by its faithful and others.

This law would not change that and no religion, including my own Catholic faith, would be mandated to bless same-sex marriages.

Two years ago at the ceremony when President Obama signed the law repealing "Don't ask, don't tell", a Jewish Rabbi gave a memorable invocation.

He said when you look into the eyes of another if you don't see the face of God at least see the face of another human being.

Every generation is given a chance to put an end to some form of discrimination in America. As you consider this historic vote, I hope you will reflect on those you will meet after it is cast.

An affirmative vote will give you a chance to look into the eyes of those who have faced discrimination throughout their lives and tell them that you voted to affirm their rights under the law.

My own views on this issue have evolved over the years and as I reflect on my support for marriage equality, I have concluded that ending this discrimination is consistent with the evolution of civil rights in our democracy - a process served so nobly by a former member of the Illinois General Assembly, Abraham Lincoln.

Thank you for your service to our state.

- United States Senator Dick Durbin

SPRINGFIELD-Short of votes, supporters of gay-marriage and bans on military-style weapons and high-powered ammunition won't see their initiatives voted on Thursday in the Illinois Senate, leaving open the question of whether either issue will get a full Senate look next week.

Senate President John Cullerton's office issued a statement, saying that bi-partisan support was necessary for either issue to advance out of the legislative chamber and that more time was needed to round up votes.

"It is clear that we will need bipartisan support in order to take floor votes on gun safety and marriage equality this week," Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon said in a prepared statement. "We will take some time to work on these important issues to advance them in the near future."

State Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), the chief Senate sponsor of the gay-marriage legislation, told the Chicago Sun-Times that three key absences have hurt efforts Thursday to pass legislation legalizing gay marriage in Illinois.

State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston) is in Israel. State Sen. Suzi Schmidt (R-Lake Villa) is missing because of her mother's death, and Senate Majority Leader James Clayborne (D-Belleville) had a health issue arise involving a family member, Steans said.

Those absences, coupled with heavy lobbying against the bill from the Archdiocese of Chicago, leave her short of the necessary 30 votes she would need to get her bill out of the Senate before the chamber adjourns for the weekend.

A vote in the Senate Executive Committee on gay marriage was still expected Thursday, even though supporters expecting an 11 a.m. hearing waited more than two hours while the Senate occupied itself with a string of rambling farewell resolutions to departing members.

"The Executive Committee has been delayed," Phelon continued in her statement, "but we still intend to hold a hearing on marriage equality shortly."

Robert Gilligan, director of the Catholic Conference of Illinois, said Catholic leaders had discussed the possibility of Cardinal Francis George making direct appeals to legislators with personal phone calls, but Gilligan said it wasn't clear whether that had happened Thursday.

On Sunday, George urged Catholic parishoners throughout Chicago to reach out to legislators to pressure them not to vote for the gay-marriage bill.

Meanwhile, on guns, a floor vote was stymied for the same reason as gay-marriage: key absences.

Gun-rights supporters estimated that the legislation banning military-style guns and the ammunition that feeds them is perhaps three or four votes shy of the necessary 30-vote threshold to pass either one, despite a heavy lobbying push from Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Gov. Pat Quinn.

No Republicans are for the gun measures, the gun-rights sources said.

But state Sen. Dan Kotowski (D-Park Ridge), chief Senate sponsor of the ammunition bill, told the Chicago Sun-Times that Schoenberg's absence, as well as the absence of state Sen. James Meeks (D-Chicago), left him short of the support he needed to pass the ammunition bill on the Senate floor.

"Modern Family" star and gay-marriage advocate explains to Chicago Sun-Times Springfield bureau chief Dave McKinney why he came to Springfield Thursday with his fiance, Justin Mikita, to lobby the Senate to pass the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act.

UPDATE

Cullerton's office: no senate floor votes today on gun ban or gay marriage

Here are ongoing updates from McKinney (@davemckinney123) via Twitter.

Using a cane for balance as well as the helpful arm of the U.S. Vice President, U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk walked up the U.S. Capitol steps on Thursday, one year after suffering a stroke.
He carefully climbed, stopping several times to turn and thank colleagues.
"It's the culmination of a dream that I've had since I was in the hospital," Kirk said in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the Illinois delegation - Democrats and Republicans - as well as high-ranking U.S. Senate leaders lined the Capitol steps watching his colleague take one step at a time up the 45 steps.
Joe Biden's motorcade arrived minutes before the climb. Biden walked over to Kirk and hugged him.
"I'm happy as can be to be here, man," Biden told Kirk.
Kirk had to learn how to walk again after suffering a debilitating stroke in January of 2012.