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07/01/06-07/03/06

Arkansas governor wants to keep ban on gay foster parents

Arkansas governor wants to keep ban on gay foster parents

One day after the Arkansas supreme court struck down a state ban on gay and lesbian foster parents, Gov. Mike Huckabee on Friday urged the legislature to pass a law reinstating the ban. "I'm very disappointed that the court seems more interested in what's good for gay couples than what's good for children needing foster care," Huckabee told the Associated Press through his spokeswoman, Alice Stewart.

The state supreme court on Thursday upheld a lower court decision that threw out a ban on gays and lesbians serving as foster parents. Four people sued after the policy was put into effect in 1999. The state Child Welfare Board dropped the policy after losing a court fight in 2004.

Thursday's court ruling left open the possibility that legislators could enact a ban by law or possibly give a state board authority to do so. But Rita Sklar, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Arkansas, said the court ruling itself could make legislation difficult to pass. She cited language in the ruling that said there was no connection between homosexuality and a child's welfare. (The Advocate)

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