Oregon United for Marriage, a broad coalition working to legalize same-sex marriage in Oregon, submitted 2,000 sponsorship signatures to the Secretary of State Elections Office on Tuesday, twice the number needed to move move into the ballot title process.

SAN FRANCISCO – Vaughn Walker, the federal judge who made the historic ruling that California’s Proposition 8 was unconstitutional, says in an interview with the San Jose Mercury News that he makes no predictions about how the U.S. Supreme Court will decide the appeal.

Walker, who has since retired from the bench, also said he was not shocked that Prop 8 supporters made a big deal that he was gay and in a long-term relationship. He called it a “Hail Mary” play insinuating that he was biased, a point decisively rejected by the appeals court.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – On Valentine’s Day, the Illinois Senate voted 34-21 to approve same-sex marriage. Two did not vote.

The bill now goes to the state House of Representatives, where anti-marriage forces are hoping to defeat the measure. Democrats control the House 60% to 40%.

Gov. Pat Quinn has been pushing hard for marriage equality for all Illinois residents. The state already offers civil unions.

"Marriage equality is coming to Illinois," Quinn vowed in his State of the State address last week.

(Editor's note: The Illinois Senate plans to vote on a gay-marriage bill on Valentine's Day.)

CHICAGO -- The Circuit Court of Cook County Chancery Division today denied a motion to stay the cases brought by Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Illinois seeking marriage for same-sex couples.

The motion, brought by The Thomas More Society, attempted to delay any action in the case pending decisions in two federal marriage cases up for review in the United States Supreme Court, United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry.