Posted on 03/14/2007 8:19:10 AM PDT by Princip. Conservative
LITTLE ROCK - Legislation to ban gays and unmarried couples who live together from adopting children and serving as foster parents passed the Senate on Tuesday, along with a proposed renewal of a $575 million interstate highway bond program.
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Senate Bill 959 by Sen. Shawn Womack, R-Mountain Home, is a legislative response to a June 2006 state Supreme Court decision upholding a lower court ruling that struck down a state regulation that banned gays from serving as foster parents.
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Timothy Fox ruled in December 2004 that the state Child Welfare Review Board overstepped authority granted by the Legislature in considering morality among criteria for prospective foster parents.
No state law bans private adoptions regardless of sexual orientation. Before Fox's ruling, prospective parents had to meet the same requirements as prospective foster parents - no gays allowed - to adopt through the state program. Since Fox's ruling, the state no longer inquires about a prospective parent's sexual orientation.
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The bill passed 20-7. However, it failed to get the 24 votes necessary to pass an emergency clause that would make the bill effective immediately upon being signed into law by the governor. Womack said he would try again to pass the emergency clause.
Legislation adopted without an emergency clause or an effective date written to the measure takes effect 90 days after the formal end of a legislative session.
(Excerpt) Read more at arkansasnews.com ...
I sure hope the Arkansas House does the right thing and passes this sensible legislation, too.
What a jackass who proposed this one. I know many unmarried couples who would make great foster parents.
Good thing they passed this too, since there are so many more qualified parents than there are adoptees. The waiting lists for adopting/fostering kids in state custody are staggering.
[/sarc]
I guess group homes and orphanages are 'wholesome enough' place to raise these kids.
This makes the law "discrimination-proof" because it doesn't target gays only.
Indeed. I have a single freind who takes in foster kids that fall thru the cracks. Too bad it would shut her off as well. Idiotic law from an idiot.
Ah yes. Every kid in foster care who has ever been put into a married home had the perfect life.
Yup that's the ticket.
Hmmm... Better make it illegal for unmarried folks to not get preggers. And for divorced folks? - Sterilization!
Wow, you opened my eyes!
[Ah yes. Every kid in foster care who has ever been put into a married home had the perfect life.]
Not perfect, just stable.
The purpose of marriage, IMHO, is to create a stable environment for raising children.
Increased stability = increased fitness.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Stability+Fitness++Primate+Populations
I think we will have to agree to disagree on this one.
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