SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Senate President John J. Cullerton released the following statement after the passage of Senate Bill 10, The Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act:

β€œIt’s always the right time to advance equal rights. I am proud that today a strong majority of my Senate colleagues recognized that and voted to advance the rights of all families in Illinois. I especially want to congratulate Sen. Heather Steans for leading this advance and challenging our caucus to fully demonstrate our commitment to marriage equality. I applaud all those who engaged in this process with thoughtful and respectful debate.”