WITH THE ELECTION OVER, SOCIAL ISSUES RISE AGAIN

The 2010 campaign battle cry was "It's the economy and jobs, stupid,"
and most hungry Illinois General Assembly candidates stuck obediently
to the three point "pro-jobs, pro-economy and anti-tax" message.

For the most part, we didn't hear much about those uncomfortable
topics such as gay marriage, marijuana legalization or the death penalty.

But this week, during the General Assembly's lame-duck session before
new lawmakers are sworn in, Illinois social liberals apparently have
determined it is the perfect time to focus on those same issues.

Too controversial to vote on during the regular session, miraculously
sponsors are not intimidated from bringing up those topics after the
election. In some cases, legislators not re-elected will make crucial
social votes that will affect Illinois for years to come.

Legalizing the use of the federally banned marijuana for medical
purposes could be called, and House sponsor state Rep. Lou Lang
(D-Chicago) is quoted as saying he's three votes short. The measure
(SB 1381) passed the state Senate in 2009, and this session may be the
only chance Lang will have to legalize marijuana.

SB 1381 would allow patients diagnosed by a physician with a
debilitating condition to register with the state Department of Public
Health. The registration would allow a cancer patient to use marijuana
and own no more than six cannabis plants - of which only three can be
mature - during a 60-day period. After three years, the bill would
need approved again.

But the "temporariness" of bills such as SB 1381 is questionable. In
the case of California, where marijuana also is legal for medical use
only, earlier this month a well-funded and well-organized referendum
tried but failed to expand the use of legal marijuana.

Lang has done his best to frame his Illinois legislation as a merciful
effort, one that would benefit medical patients. He doesn't talk much
about totally opening Illinois for pot-enjoyers, but there's little
doubt that's where groups like the Medical Marijuana Project stand on
expanding pot smokers' rights.

In a 2008 Mason-Dixon poll, 68 percent of those Illinoisans polled
supported legalizing medical marijuana for the seriously ill and only
23 percent said such an action would send the wrong message to young
people about drug use. Still, in seven of nine states that have
legalized medical use of marijuana, there was a marked increase of
cannabis use among young people. It seems the message is clear where
pot is legalized: Go for it.

Oh, but pushing for Illinois to be the first Midwestern state with
legalized marijuana wasn't a topic anyone was interested in discussing
before Nov. 2. Only jobs and the economy mattered, we were told.

Then there's the issue of same-sex rights. This was a touchy subject
among candidates, and they'd do everything possible to steer around
the topic, saying it is a state issue if they were federal candidates
and it's a federal issue if they were state legislature candidates.

Indeed, gay rights were set back when the Iowa judges who legalized
gay marriage earlier this year were ousted as state Supreme Court
judges in the November election. While gay marriage advocates push for
their ultimate goal in Illinois, they're settling for a more
"moderate," step-by-step approach now.

Traditional family advocates say there are a diminishing number of
"undecideds" in the Illinois House, where openly gay state Rep. Greg
Harris (D-Chicago) is tallying votes for a veto session roll call.

"We'd rather not give out our lobbying list to get into our opponents'
hands," said Davis Smith, of the anti-civil union Illinois Family Institute.

But Harris insists he's one or two votes away from passage in the next
week. That was until the Catholic Conference of Illinois called on
Illinois Catholics to tell their state legislators to oppose SB 1716
this week.

"Senate Bill 1716 enacts civil unions and grants those in civil unions
the same rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage. Under this
bill, the only difference between marriage and civil unions is the
name," the conference says on its Web site. "Your message is simple:
'Vote no on Senate Bill 1716 because it equates civil unions and
marriage. I am opposed to undermining marriage in this way.' It is
also true this bill could have a significant impact on the church's
social service missions."

Forcing the Catholic Church to consider civil unions in its
qualifications for adoption and other family-oriented ministries would
force state policy onto religious doctrine, a possible First Amendment
infringement.

However, issues such as gay marriage and civil unions - so strongly
used in 2000 and 2004 presidential elections - were frowned upon as a
topic of discussion in 2010. No one was interested, we were told.

And then there's the issue of eradicating the death penalty in
Illinois that also is on the list of possible social topics the
General Assembly may face this week. The Illinois Coalition to Abolish
the Death Penalty promised new legislation to be introduced this week.
The coalition consists of such diverse groups as the American Civil
Liberties Union, the Illinois State Bar Association, the Chicago
Democratic Socialists of America, the Illinois Conference of Churches
and the same Catholic Conference of Illinois that opposes legalizing
gay marriage.

With a state budget on the verge of bankruptcy, you'd think these
social liberals filling the state Capitol halls this week would
understand what social conservatives heard over and over this year -
that social issues really don't matter.

Makes you wonder who really is stupid, doesn't it?