Anti-Gay Adoption Bill Advances In VA

Yesterday the Virginia Senate approved a GOP-sponsored bill which allows state-licensed agencies to deny adoption to anybody who is found unacceptable for "religious reasons."

The bill effectively would allow faith-based organizations, such as Catholic Charities, to legally deny the placement of gay children and the adoption of children by gay parents. Senate Bill 349, sponsored by Sen. Jeff McWaters, R-Virginia Beach, codifies recently adopted state regulations governing the adoption and foster-care placement of children by state-funded agencies. It passed the chamber on a 22-18 vote, with two Democrats — Sens. Charles J. Colgan, D-Prince William, and Phillip P. Puckett, D-Russell siding with all 20 Republicans in the evenly divided chamber.

The Family Foundation of Virginia crowed: "The passage of conscience protection for private child-placement agencies by a bipartisan majority in the Senate is a tremendous victory for religious liberty and for the thousands of children and families around Virginia that are served by these agencies." Gov. Bob McConnell has said that he will sign the bill.