A political brawl is in brewing between two high-profile lesbian human rights activists for an Illinois state House seat, a clash which has drawn in Chicago's newly minted mayor and the state's powerful House Speaker.

It's a $30 million "oops." It's an "oops" that can only be fixed by the Illinois Senate within the next 24 hours. How's that for a political thriller plot? Except it's not a plot line. It's true.

In 1996, Illinois and 14 other states approved "Defense of Marriage of Act" laws, but Illinois has now partially undone that injustice.

Under current Illinois law, a voter must declare a party affiliation before voting in the primary, which is then recorded as a public record. Pat Quinn's "open primary" plan would change that.