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A flurry of Democratic amendments failed Wednesday to stop a bill in the Virginia Senate that would allow private, state-funded adoption agencies to turn away parents based on sexual orientation or religious beliefs.
The measure cleared a preliminary vote after Democrats offered 18 floor amendments meant to change a bill that they said was intended to make it harder for gay people to adopt in Virginia. A final vote is expected Thursday.
Republicans supporting the “conscience clause” said it would protect the religious freedom of faith-based adoption and foster-care agencies, freeing them from having to place children with parents they deem unfit because of their religious views or sexual orientation.
Adoption law 'conscience clause' advances in Va. Senate - Virginia Politics - The Washington Post
Seeded on Thu Feb 9, 2012 10:51 AM EST
Article Source: The Washington Post- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (7)
Sen. Jeffrey L. McWaters (R-Virginia Beach), the bill’s patron, said it would be unfair to cut state funding from an organization for operating in accordance with its religious beliefs.
“I don’t know anybody who thinks that’s not discrimination,” said McWaters, who noted that the bill does not prevent agencies from placing children with gay parents if they choose to do so.
Sen. Mark Herring (D-Loudoun) proposed an amendment that would have made the “conscience clause” applicable only to private agencies that do not receive state funding.
“If you’re going to contract with the state or a locality, you should do that in a non-discriminatory manner,” he said.
Remember those constructionist Republicons who at least tried to follow the Constitution? What happened to them?
- 6 votes
#1 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 10:53 AM ESTThey're busy voting for the new GOP's "No Lawyer Left Behind" jobs program...
There are transuranic elements that will have a longer life than this bill will.
- 4 votes
We Virginians really blew the last election cycle. And we're in for a couple of miserable years with assaults on women, homosexuals, education, the poor, and having all of our assets sold off to private industry. We'll reverse what we can in the next election cycle, and all of this nonsense will go away. The big question will be how damage the R's have already done. Anyone on the national state eyeing Gov McDonnell for a bigger show, look closer: he's destroying Virginia and it will be apparent very shortly.
- 4 votes
Sen. Mark Herring (D-Loudoun) proposed an amendment that would have made the “conscience clause” applicable only to private agencies that do not receive state funding.
“If you’re going to contract with the state or a locality, you should do that in a non-discriminatory manner,” he said.
Now that's just too much of a common sense COMPROMISE huh GNOP?
- 4 votes
If you’re going to contract with the state or a locality, you should do that in a non-discriminatory manner,” he said.
Exactly!
- 4 votes
#2 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 12:04 PM ESTMissionary Group Kidnaps 300 Muslim Orphans to Raise as Christians
A Virginia-based missionary group said this week that it has airlifted 300 "tsunami orphans" from the Muslim province of Banda Aceh to Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, where it plans to raise them in a Christian children's home....................But a few of the smaller groups have been raising money among evangelical Christians by presenting the tsunami emergency effort as a rare opportunity to make converts in hard-to-reach areas...................
The appeal said WorldHelp was working with native-born Christians in Indonesia who want to "plant Christian principles as early as possible" in the 300 Muslim children, all younger than 12, who lost their parents in the tsunami.
"These children are homeless, destitute, traumatized, orphaned, with nowhere to go, nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat. If we can place them in a Christian children's home, their faith in Christ could become the foothold to reach the Aceh people," it said.
The Web site was changed, and the appeal was removed yesterday after The Washington Post called to inquire about
- 6 votes
#3 - Thu Feb 9, 2012 12:24 PM ESTit would protect the religious freedom of faith-based adoption and foster-care agencies
Adoption and foster care agencies do not have religious freedom!! People do. These are not a function of a church or necessarily to follow ones faith. These agencies must follow laws that are applicable to all other such agencies.
This crap has already been tried and thrown out in other states, with mine being one.
- 6 votes
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