Southern Illinois Couples Join in Civil Union

Published: June 17, 2011, 4 a.m.

A new law went into effect this month in Illinois. The state legislature voted in civil unions in December and Governor Pat Quinn signed the bill into law in January. The measure allows both gay and heterosexual couples to receive some of the benefits of marriage, including the right receive a partner's pension benefits, and to make medical decisions. Illinois is the sixth state to approve civil unions, and as Angela Hatton reports, a handful of southern Illinois couples are taking the plunge.