It’s back! On the first day of the 2013 legislative session, state senator Heather Steans and state representative Greg Harris introduced the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act in the House and Senate in Illinois.

This follows up marriage equality legislation that was introduced in the last session and passed a Senate committee, but did not have time to make it to the full legislature. The bill has the support of Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn as well as President Obama.

“Last week, the Senate Executive Committee made history by approving same-sex marriage and gave our efforts incredible momentum,” Steans said in a statement released by Equality Illinois. “With the full support of Senate President John Cullerton, I am confident legislators will grant all Illinois couples the freedom to marry this year.”

The bill enjoys bipartisan legal support, expressed by GOP chairman Pat Brady, who said last week that “giving gay and lesbian couples the freedom to get married honors the best conservative principles. It strengthens families and reinforces a key Republican value — that the law should treat all citizens equally,” according to the Equality Illinois release.

To add a little boost to everyone’s good mood, Illinois Rep. Kelly Cassidy got engaged to her partner, Kelley Quinn, steps away from the Capitol building (pictured above) just a day before the marriage equality bill was introduced. D’awwwwww.