Senate Passes Bill That Allows Faith Based Adoption Agencies

The South Dakota Senate has passed a bill that allows faith-based adoption and foster care agencies to refuse service based on religious beliefs.
 
Critics say that opens the door for discrimination against same-sex couples.
 
Senate Bill 149 protects faith-based adoption and foster service from losing state funds if they decide to turn away couples who don’t meet their requirements.
 
State Senator Alan Solano sponsors the bill. He says the measure allows religious groups to match children and parents based on their sincerely-held beliefs.
 
“I worry about, without having protections, that these boards are going to say we’re done doing child placement. That’s going to reduce the number of families that are found that we can place these children in with loving families.”
 
State Senator Ernie Otten says his parents fostered children when he was young. He voted in favor of the bill, but says it’s off-base…
 
“It is not my place, once somebody has given up a child—which is one of the greatest loves that one could have—to an agency and says find a home for this kid, and now I want to infer my own personal beliefs? I think that’s getting a little off track.”
 
The ACLU of South Dakota opposes the bill. Critics say it could prevent LGBT couples, divorced people and interfaith couples from adopting children under the guise of religious protection.
 
The bill passed the Senate floor 22 to 12. It now heads to the house.