Bill to ban gay foster parents dies, lottery amendment fails to surface

By staff - Apr 5, 2007

A bill that sought to reinstate an Arkansas ban on gay foster and adoptive parents has failed to win the approval of a House committee. The ban previously had been overturned by the state Supreme Court.

Senate Bill 959, which had earlier passed the Senate 20-7, would have prevented gays and cohabiting couples from serving as foster or adoptive parents.

Larry Page, executive director of the Arkansas Faith and Ethics Council (AFEC), and other supporters said opponents of the bill overlooked the interests of children.

“The other side framed it as a homosexual rights issue rather than what is in the best interests of children at risk,” Page said.

Opponents claimed the bill was unconstitutional and said the ban would put children at greater risk due to the shortage of foster and adoptive parents. But supporters said the quality of the environment in which children are placed must be paramount.

As the current legislative session drew to a close, Page said he was “cautiously optimistic” the proposed state lottery bill would not resurface. At press time, the proposal, HJR 1005, had not been recommended by the Joint Committee on Constitutional Amendments.

The joint committee can refer to voters up to three constitutional amendments, out of the eight proposed, for the 2008 general election ballot. Two were recommended.

A motion was made to approve HJR 1005, which would authorize the General Assembly to establish a state lottery to help fund college scholarships and teacher bonuses. But the motion failed among the House component of the joint committee. Eleven affirmative votes were necessary for approval. HJR 1005 received only 10. Since it failed, the Senate component was not required to vote.

“We give thanks to God for blessing our efforts,” Page said. “And we thank all of you who have prayed for this effort and assisted by making contacts with elected officials.”

HB 2242, which would have reduced the percentage of registered voter signatures on petitions needed to call a local option election to change the dry/wet status of a county, was stopped in the House Rules Committee.

A revised charitable bingo and raffle bill, HB 1426, passed. It is designed to control and track a constitutional amendment voters approved last year, which allows religious organizations and other nonprofit groups to conduct raffles and bingo games as fund raisers. Page said if it is enforced, it will prevent large commercial bingo enterprises from springing up. It also assures charitable bingo will be conducted by bona fide charitable organizations operated by unpaid volunteers and actually used for charitable causes.

This article is reprinted from the April 5, 2007, issue of Arkansas Baptist News, the newsjournal of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.

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