The following official email was just sent out (via the LDS Church website) to all the members of the Nauvoo 3rd Ward, as approved by Kristy Combs, ward website administrator, and by Bishop Chris Church of the Nauvoo 3rd Ward. (Because it was sent through the LDS website, it required the authorization of a bishop or higher.)



"This message has been authorized for sending by Bishop Church.



The Civil Union Bill (HB 2234) has been scheduled for a hearing in the Youth and Family Committee this week on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield. If the bill is voted out of committee, it becomes eligible for a vote before the full Illinois House of Representatives. This bill will legalize civil unions in the state of Illinois, and will treat such civil unions with the same legal obligations, responsibilities, protections and benefits as are afforded within marriage. In other words, civil unions will be different in name only from marriage. As has already been seen in Massachusetts, this will empower the public schools to begin teaching this lifestyle to our young children regardless of parental requests otherwise. It will also create grounds for rewriting all social mores; the current push in Massachusetts is to recognize and legalize all transgender rights (An individual in Massachusetts can now change their drivers license to the gender they believe themselves to be, regardless of actual gender, which means that confused men and women are now legally entering one another's bathrooms and locker rooms.What kind of a safety issue is this for our children?). Furthermore, while the bill legalizes civil unions, it will be used in the courts to show discrimination and will ultimately lead to court mandated same-sex marriages.



To help defeat this bill, please call your state representative and state senator and ask that they support traditional marriage and vote against the civil unions bill. If you are unsure who your legislators are, please see the link at the end of this email.



Also, please take a moment and call the following members of the Youth and Family Committee to encourage them to vote no on this bill. We need 4 votes to keep it from passing out of the committee. And - as always, please pass this on to all who believe in protecting our families and our children. If you are interested in attending the hearing, it will be held on Thursday, March 5th at 9:00 a.m. in Springfield in Room 122B of the Capitol Building (I can give you directions to the Capitol Building if needed).



Members of the Youth and Family Committee:



Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago) (Greg Harris is also the sponsor of this bill, but he needs to hear your opposition to this bill)

Chairperson

217-782-3835



Rep. LaShawn K. Ford (D-Chicago)

Vice-Chairperson

217-782-5962



Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago)

Republican Spokesperson

217-782-1653



Rep. William D. Burns (D-Chicago)

217-782-2023



Rep. Michael P. McAuliffe (R-Chicago)

217-782-8182



Rep. Al Riley (D-Matteson)

217-558-1007



Rep. Dave Winters (R-Rockford)

217-782-0455



Directions for identifying your legislators:



You can use the following link to identify your state legislators and

their contact information: http://www.elections.il.gov/DistrictLocator/SelectSearchType.aspx?NavLink=1 (and enter your 9

digit zip code). If this link doesn't work, you can use the general

link www.ilga.gov and then click on " legislator lookup" near the

bottom of the page, then click on "by zip+4". Type in your zip code,

and you'll see a list of your legislators. You want your state

senator and state representative as they will be the ones voting on

the bill.



Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.



Sister Combs"

Please do the opposite of this action alert by the church and tell your legislators you support the HB2234 the civil unions bill.Crossposted via Chino Blanco