3 years ago
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Attorney General Dustin McDaniel says he will reject a proposed voter-backed initiative aimed at barring unmarried couples from adopting or fostering children in Arkansas. McDaniel says language in the proposal is inconsistent.
A conservative group hoped to use the ban to keep gay couples from serving as foster parents. McDaniel told The Associated Press today that the Arkansas Family Council's proposal was inconsistent.
The group will be allowed to submit a proposal with changes.
Courts have overturned Arkansas' previous ban on gay foster parents.
Family Council director Jerry Cox says a voter-led initiative that targeted all unmarried couples -- not just gay ones -- would better withstand a judge's review.
Cox says last month the ban did not specifically target homosexuals partly because the group believed cohabiting heterosexuals are not safe for children, either.
If McDaniel approves the language of a new draft and the Family Council obtains 61,947 valid signatures, the proposal would be on the November 2008 ballot.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
