For the second year in a row, a bill has been filed in the Tennessee Senate that bans adoptions by gay and unmarried straight couples.
Senator Paul Stanley (R-Memphis) filed the bill today (Thursday, Jan. 29) that “prohibits any individual who is cohabitating in a sexual relationship outside of a marriage that is valid under the constitution and laws of this state from adopting a minor.”
The bill would prevent same-sex couples from adopting (as well as heterosexual couples who are not married). It is the same bill that Stanley filed last year, which failed in the then-Democratic controlled legislature amidst thousands of emails by those opposed to the bill. Current Tennessee law does not require people petitioning for adoption to be married.
This year, Republicans control both the Tennessee House and Senate, and are expected to push a wide range of social issues through, including several anti-gay laws.
“We will use every tool at our disposal to fight this bill,” said Christopher Sanders, president of the Tennessee Equality Project. “It harms families and it is too expensive for the state - the cost will be unbearable to the state in a year in which we are facing a severe budget crisis.”
Sanders said the needed for all members of the GLBT community to come forth and meet with their lawmakers on Feb. 17, which is TEP’s Advancing Equality Day on the Hill.
“We need a huge turnout,” he said.
If adopted, the move could cost the state more than $7 million. Last year, the Fiscal Note on the bill indicated that the state would see annual increased state expenditures of $4,548,500 and an increase in federal expenditures of $2,838,700.
In 2008 the state Department of Children’s Services said that out of 1,225 annual adoptions, about one-third or 380 are made by cohabitating couples.
Tennessee seeks to ban gay adoptions
Bill filed in state senate by Memphis Republican
Jan 29, 2009
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Posted by OceanWaves&SeaOats 02/04/09 10:47 PM
What is the bill nbr of this legislation? It always help to have that info when discussing these issues with our legislators. This is just the same old tired and failed Republican discrimination moralizing dogma that cost them the election in November. Now this trash is being funneled here in Tennessee. We must info and confront our individual reps that this IS NOT our agenda. Supporting this bill MUST carry a price for each legislator that does so. Write them. Call their office. Use email. Tell them "NO WAY!" If not you, who will?
Posted by RobMoore 02/02/09 1:19 PM
This is another reason why Republicans are too irresponsible to govern. They have brought the country to the brink of ruin by spending so much time with social engineering to be fit their religious views. In the states such as Tennessee and Georgia, they misgovern by slashing spending on things like healthcare and education and taking foolish actions that benefit no one least of all children but cost everyone. Is it any wonder the states governed by a religious party continues to lag behind on education, economic development, health statistics, and transportation?
Posted by chris harris 01/29/09 3:13 PM
Well, the State Legislators are up to the same mischief once again. How many sessions in a row have they tried this? You have to give them something for persistence.....BUT the only thing that they deserve is condemnation for preventing children from moving into loving families. How many times do child welfare advocates have to trot up to the legislature to say the same thing, quote the same articles, give the same testimony? It's a massive waste of time and effort. But, by Jove, they are keeping the public safe. Safe from what, I'm not sure.....Overall, very very distressing....
