Breaking: Florida Committee Passes Bill Allowing Tax-Funded Adoption Agencies To Discriminate
The Florida House Judiciary Committee just passed a bill that would allow adoption agencies to openly-discriminate against same-sex couples on religious grounds.
Thursday morning the Republican-majority Florida House Judiciary Committee passed a bill that would expressly allow open anti-gay discrimination on religious grounds by adoption agencies that are funded with taxpayer dollars.
The bill, HB 7111, applies to private child-placing agencies, stating they are “not required to perform, assist in, recommend, consent to, or participate in the placement of a child when the proposed placement would violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions or policies.”
#HB7111 would let adopt. agencies that receive state $ to legally discriminate against same-sex couples in #Florida
— ACLU of Florida (@ACLUFL) April 2, 2015
It adds, “The state or a local government or community-based care lead agency may not withhold a grant, contract, or participation in a government program from a private child-placing agency because of the agency’s refusal to perform, assist in, recommend, consent to, or participate in the placement of a child which violates the agency’s written religious or moral convictions or policies.”
The House Judiciary Committee just PASSED the Indiana-style adoption bill. #HB7111
— Equality Florida (@equalityfl) April 2, 2015
Equality Florida, which has been lobbying against HB 7111, calls it a “hastily written bill” that was “introduced mid-session, in response to the House unexpectedly voting to eliminate Florida’s ban on gay and lesbian adoptions. The ban had not been enforced since 2010, when an appellate court ruled it unconstitutional, but it remains on the books. Indiana lawmakers were similarly motivated, introducing their bill as a counter to gay couples marrying.”
“The answer is not to legislate discrimination. It’s 2015. This has to stop.” — Rep. @DavidMKerner on anti-#LGBT adoption bill #HB7111
— FL Democratic Party (@FlaDems) April 2, 2015
Son of Martin Gill, from ACLU lawsuit that struck down #Florida‘s adoption ban in 2010, testifies against #HB7111 pic.twitter.com/y3WQnOYh6F
— ACLU of Florida (@ACLUFL) April 2, 2015
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Image by Elvert Barnes via Flickr and a CC license
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