The Champaign County Clerk’s office will open the office on Sunday, June 1 in order to offer marriage licenses to same-sex couples for the first time, Gordy Hulten, Champaign county clerk, said.

“That is the first day that the same sex marriage law, as it is scheduled now, will take effect,” Hulten said. “For people that want to take advantage of that law, it will be illegal for us to issue licenses on (the previous Friday) so they would have to wait until Monday otherwise.”

For this reason, the clerk’s office will open on Sunday, to give same-sex couples the opportunity to obtain a marriage license as soon as possible, Hulten said.

“We just want to treat folks who are getting same sex marriage licenses the same as everyone else and that is kind of the point, isn’t it?” Hulten said.

He added that there is some talk in the State Legislature of changing the date, and that the Champaign County Clerk’s office will be ready either way.

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives and the Senate each passed the same-sex marriage bill, Senate Bill 10. Gov. Pat Quinn announced that he will sign the bill into law on November 20, according to a press release from the Office of the Governor.