States Aren't Waiting for Supreme Court on Gay Marriage

Illinois and Rhode Island move forward with own plans

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to tackle gay marriage in a matter of months, but legislative action this week in Rhode Island and Illinois shows that supporters aren't in wait-and-see mode.

Buoyed by ballot victories in four states in November, they're now on the offensive in two more; wins would mean that more than 20 percent of Americans live in places that have approved same-sex marriage.

Opponents are pushing back hard to make sure that doesn't happen, even as they express confidence that the nation's high court will rule in their favor when it weighs in on the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8.