New Kansas Law Now In Full-Effect BANS Major Group Of People From Having A Family – Good Idea?
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State lawmakers in both Oklahoma and Kansas have approved legislation to grant legal protections to faith-based adoption agencies that cite their religious beliefs for not placing children in the homes of specific families. The families most affected are particularly the homes in which the parents are part of the LGBT community, which has caused a loss for those in that community but also caused an increase in the ongoing feud between the religious and LGBT agenda.
Supporters of such measures argued that the core issue is one of religious liberties and protecting a group’s right to live out its religious faith in the manner the tenants of that faith dictates. However, critics of the measures see it as going after LGBT rights and a means to discriminate against them. Both Oklahoma and Kansas have GOP-controlled legislatures and governors, but in Kansas, the proposal split Republicans causing a bitter divide.
The Oklahoma House’s 56-21 vote Thursday sent its measure to Governor Mary Fallin. She has not stated publicly her intentions on whether she would sign it. The bill is similar to laws in at least five other states.
Kansas legislators acted hours later with the state House approving 63-58, a bill that would prevent faith-based agencies from being barred from providing foster care or adoption services for the state if they refuse to place children in homes violating their “sincerely held” religious beliefs. The Senate passed the bill in a vote, 24-15, early Friday morning.
The bill now heads to Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer where he has already stated he plans to sign the bill into law. However, his administration is split on this issue with an outcry from businesses, activists, and childcare specialists due to a belief this could encourage faith-based groups to place more abused and neglected children in state custody.
Colyer became governor after current sitting President Donald Trump tapped former Governor Sam Brownback to lead the Office of International Religious Freedom at the State Department, a position often called the “Religious Freedom Ambassador.”
Fox23 News reported that both sides are very passionate in their support – “Backers of the Kansas bill acknowledged that faith-based agencies have been operating in Kansas for decades without issue. But they fear that lawsuits or turnover among state officials could result in an environment hostile to some religious groups’ views. A few saw vocal opposition from LGBT-rights advocates as evidence that a shift could be coming.
“There is no homosexual agenda – I was told that, when people were saying that there was one, and now we find out, there is an agenda,” said Kansas state Sen. Steve Fitzgerald, a conservative Leavenworth Republican. “What was once tolerated is now becoming dominant and is intolerant – totally intolerant.”
LGBT-rights advocates argue that enacting such a law would sanction discrimination and support it with taxpayer dollars.
TechNet, representing some of the biggest names in tech, including Apple and Google, sent a letter to lawmakers in both states opposing their measures. Critics in Kansas worried that it would make the state look backward and even suggested it could hurt the economy.
“It’s going to say, ‘Well, there goes Kansas. They’re going to do something regressive, something discriminatory,” said Kansas state Sen. David Haley, a Kansas City Democrat. “Something like this is not healthy.”
The Oklahoma bill cleared the GOP-controlled Legislature over the boisterous objections of Democrats. At one point, the chamber’s presiding officer threatened to have a member forcibly removed.
Texas, Alabama, South Dakota, Virginia and Michigan already have such laws in place. Michigan’s ACLU chapter took the state to court last year over its adoption law, and the case is still ongoing.
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