LITTLE
ROCK,
Ark.
(AP)
—
A
proposal
to
ban
unmarried
couples
living
together
from
fostering
or
adopting
children
was
approved
Aug.
25
to
appear
on
this
fall’s
ballot.
Secretary
of
State
Charlie
Daniels
certified
the
proposed
initiated
act
for
the
Nov.
4
ballot
after
verifying
that
the
Arkansas
Family
Council
Action
Committee
had
submitted
85,389
valid
signatures
from
registered
voters.
Supporters
needed
to
turn
in
at
least
61,974
valid
signatures.
“Arkansas
needs
to
affirm
the
importance
of
married
mothers
and
fathers,”
Family
Council
President
Jerry
Cox
said.
“We
need
to
publicly
affirm
the
gold
standard
of
rearing
children
whenever
we
can.
The
state
standard
should
be
as
close
to
that
gold
standard
of
married
mom
and
dad
homes
as
possible.”
The
committee
submitted
additional
petitions
last
week
after
the
secretary
of
state
said
it
didn’t
turn
in
enough
valid
signatures.
The
proposal
is
aimed
at
effectively
banning
gays
and
lesbians
from
becoming
foster
or
adoptive
parents.
The
measure
faces
the
threat
of
a
lawsuit
from
groups
who
say
that
it
unfairly
discriminates
against
unmarried
couples
and
limits
the
number
of
foster
and
adoptive
homes
available
for
children.
Arkansas
Families
First,
a
group
campaigning
against
the
measure,
has
said
it
plans
to
file
a
lawsuit
to
keep
the
measure
from
appearing
on
the
November
ballot.
Debbie
Willhite,
a
lead
consultant
for
the
group,
said
last
week
the
group
has
found
numerous
signatures
that
should
have
been
rejected
by
the
state
as
invalid
and
that
the
group
also
plans
to
challenge
the
constitutionality
of
the
measure.
Attorney
General
Dustin
McDaniel,
who
is
opposed
to
the
proposed
initiated
act,
said
last
week
that
he
was
confident
it
could
survive
a
legal
challenge.
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