Associated Press
Florida’s 38-year-old ban on gay adoption is getting tossed out by the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature.
The Florida Senate on Tuesday voted 27-11 for an adoption bill (HB 7013) that repeals the law first passed in 1977. It now heads to Gov. Rick Scott.
Sen. Don Gaetz, sponsor of the bill, called the current ban “meaningless” since it is no longer enforced. An appeals court ruled it unconstitutional in 2010.
But Sen. Alan Hays called the repeal of the ban “a poison pill.” He urged legislators to consider the “long-term implications” of repealing the ban.
The House has passed a separate “conscience” law that would allow faith-based organizations handling adoptions to refuse to let gays adopt. It’s not clear whether the Senate will pass the measure.
Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
