(South Dakota) State house passes protections for religious adoption agencies

[Heddi]

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2017/03/03/house-passes-protections-religious-adoption-agencies/

PIERRE - The South Dakota House approved new legal protections Thursday for adoption agencies and foster groups that cite religious reasons for denying services, such as refusing to place children in the care of same-sex couples or single parents.

..
Supporters say they want to guard agencies from losing state funds or licenses for not working with people of different religions or couples in a same-sex marriage.
There have been concerns across the U.S. regarding local ordinances or state laws that have impacted child placement agencies, said Republican Rep. Steven Haugaard, the bill’s main House sponsor.
Haugaard said that the bill is “proactive and pre-emptive” to recognize that religious agencies “can exercise their faith, and it’s not going to impact or negatively affect the good work that they’ve done for decades.”

...
Jim Kinyon, executive director of Catholic Social Services in Rapid City, which provides adoption services, said the group relies on its religious traditions to help make some decisions on families to place on its infant adoption list. That includes requirements that an opposite-sex couple has been married for at least two years.
“I would prefer not to have Catholic organizations driven out of the practice of placing children for adoption,” Kinyon said. “That’s why we proposed the bill, and that’s why we supported the bill.”

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At least they've got the children's best interests in mind, amirite?? Better to languish in foster care than *gasp* be raised by a bunch of gays or lesbians or single parents. I mean, what would jesus do?

[Doreen]

1. So, what they are saying is they are going to willingly deprive

children from having loving parents who can give them an opportunity in life instead of living off the government getting only the absolute bare minimum to survive?