Illinois legislature approves same-sex civil unions

[JURIST] The Illinois Senate [official website] on Wednesday voted 32-24 in favor of a bill [SB 1716 materials] legalizing same-sex civil unions [JURIST news archive]. The vote comes a day after the Illinois House of Representatives [official website] voted 62-51 in favor of the bill, which will now go to Governor Pat Quinn (D) [official website] for his signature. Quinn is expected to sign the bill [Chicago Sun-Times report]. The legislation, entitled the "Illinois Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act,"…