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Loading ...Groups planning court fight over Ark. anti-gay adoption measure
08.22.2008 12:22pm EDT
(Little Rock, Arkansas) A group fighting a proposed ballot measure to ban adoptions by unmarried couples living together are preparing to take their battle to court.
Arkansas Families First, the group fighting the adoption ban, said that if the question is certified for the ballot, it will go to court.Spokesperson Debbie Willhite told The Associated Press that it is preparing to petition the Arkansas Supreme Court.
“We do intend to enjoin the initiative,” Willhite said. “We’re quite optimistic that we’ll keep this from being voted on.”
The organization has more than $45,000 in the bank and raised $13,345 last month, Willhite told The AP.
The Arkansas Family Council Action Committee, the socially conservative group that is petitioning for the ban, turned in an additional 30,000 signatures to the secretary of state’s office Thursday, after it was given an extra month to meet requirements.
The group, which also spearheaded Arkansas’ constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, handed in its petition for the gay adoption ban last month. But the secretary of state validated only 57,888 signatures instead of the required 61,974. Since the number fell within a state “grace” guideline, the group was given another 30 days to get the additional signatures.
The committee said Friday it expects the secretary of state to affirm it had met the requirement and place the issue before voters.
The Arkansas Family Council Action Committee had a debt of nearly $2,800 as of July 31, but has raised $9,000 over the past month.
The adoption referendum is similar to a bill that died in the legislature earlier this year.
That legislation failed after Gov. Mike Beebe had suggested that there were constitutional problems with the bill, although he would no say if he intended to veto it if it were passed.
Do you people ever proofread your copy before posting? No, not spellcheck. Real, eyeball proofreading? For errors in both the first and last sentences here? Good grief!
Hahaha I agree grumpy
Its not extremely horrid though
At least there is a group fighting the proposed ban.
yeah, Andy.
Its time that the ability to adopt not be confined only to heterosexual married couples. Too be honest, its better to have ONE parent that loves his/her child unconditionally and provides that child with all the resources necessary for that child to grow into a physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy individual who is able to function than to have TWO (heterosexual)parents that constantly argue and show that child no love and care at all.(and even abuse him/her)
Grumpy, I agree with you. How can a professional news organization have repeated spelling and grammatical errors in the articles written by its own news center staff. What happened to pride of authorship?
This only proves that conservatives wish to hurt children. Their are kids in good caring homes that were adopted by gay couples and this ban would rip them from their good homes and places them back into the foster system exposed to homophobia and militantly anti-gay setiment. Can you imagine how confusing it would be for a child to be ripped from their same sex parents and put in a place where people told them that their parents were an abomination?
Is the spelling that important? more important than the story?
Grumpy and Amazed2,
Most of the people doing the work for the site are over-worked free-lancers. We do our best to keep mistakes to a minimum; however, because there is not a full time staff of editors mistakes do appear.
Sincerely,
James
OOOh! What a nice site you’ve got in here:))