At the Illinois GOP Convention over the weekend, state Republicans decided against changing their party's platform on the issue of same-sex marriage. 

Convention members agreed to keep the party's platform in support of "marriage between one man and one woman." 

A convention committee voted in favoring of changing the language to say "non-traditional families are worthy of the same respect and legal protections as traditional families." But the proposed language failed when brought for a full convention vote.

"I thought (with) an issue that was that divisive, it was critical that it come to the floor and let the delegates actually vote," Mike Bigger, the state party's secretary and platform committee chair, told the Peoria Journal Star. "I've never at a convention before seen that happen. The majority spoke and it was clear and resounding. We passed the right platform -- the platform the party wanted -- and I'm totally happy with it."