Ark. voters pass lottery, support adoption ban !!!!!!!

[dolphin_whisper]

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -

Among the major issues on the Arkansas ballot, voters supported matters the Legislature declined to deal with.

Voters passed a measure banning unmarried couples living together from serving as adoptive or foster parents. Legislators declined to advance a similar measure during their last regular session.

And while lawmakers also declined to put a state-sponsored lottery measure on the ballot, Lt. Gov. Bill Halter organized a successful campaign to get it before voters, and now has the satisfaction of seeing it approved.

The adoption and foster ban, aimed primarily at keeping gays from becoming foster or adoptive parents, received support from nearly 57 percent of voters in unofficial and incomplete returns. Nearly two-thirds of voters supported the lottery measure championed by Halter, which will fund college scholarships through ticket sales.

The foster measure's sponsor, the Arkansas Family Council, painted its proposal as a battle against a "gay agenda." The conservative group successfully pushed for an amendment banning same-sex marriage four years ago.

"I think the voters realized that this was about child welfare, rather than the rights of adults," said Jerry Cox, the council's president.

Opponents of the measure argued it would make it harder for the state to find the foster parents it needs to take care of children. Gov. Mike Beebe, who had originally said he supported a foster-care restriction, changed his mind and said an open policy was needed because of a lack of foster homes.

"The biggest thing to take away tonight is that the children in the foster-care system were dealt a pretty serious blow tonight," said Brett Kincaid, director of the campaign that opposed the measure.

The measure came after a 2006 Arkansas Supreme Court decision that struck down a state policy banning gay foster parents.

Voters also had no problems overcoming history to overturn a lottery ban.

Though the Legislature ultimately would design the lottery games, Halter's campaign feels the lottery could draw in millions for Arkansas, some of which is already heading out to surrounding states. During his run for governor in the Democratic primary, Halter said a lottery could bring in as much as $250 million, a figure that he said was based on lottery revenue in Georgia. Now, Halter's Hope for Arkansas committee estimates a lottery could bring in $100 million, a per-capita estimate based on net lottery proceeds for each of Arkansas' surrounding states with lotteries.

However, opponents worried that the lottery would subsidize the scholarships on the backs of the state's poor. The Arkansas Family Council also argued before the state's highest court that the measure could potentially allow casinos in a Bible Belt state leery of gambling.

Cox said his group would lobby lawmakers this winter to create a citizen oversight over a potential lottery. He said his group also would urge legislators to bring another measure before voters to clearly ban casinos.

"This moves the debate over the lottery from the ballot box to the Legislature," Cox said.

Top political leaders in the state shied away from outright endorsing or opposing the lottery measure during the campaign. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel ultimately said he voted for it with reservations, while Beebe voted against it over concerns it would target the poor.

Failed lottery measures in the past often included casinos. Halter acknowledged part of the measure's appeal likely came from the fact it was the first time voters ever voted solely on a lottery.

"Arkansans, I think tonight, saw through a lot of the false arguments and got to the core of that this is about improving higher education," Halter said. "I think they voted overwhelming for that."

Aside from the lottery and adoption measures, voters passed a measure allowing for annual Legislative sessions. Voters also approved measures allowing government employees to serve as poll workers and giving the state authority to issue up to $300 million in bonds for water projects.

Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

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This is just out right ridiculous !!!!! There are millions of children that need good homes and they are ultimately denying these children of loving families and homes !!! WTF ARE THESE PEOPLE THINKING ?!?!?!?!?!

[wrensong]

Nov. 5, 2008 at 11:43 AM

Being an arkansas resident, I am saddened to learn that people cannot give loving homes to children based on who they choose to share their lives with...

I am happy about the lottery tho. I wish my mom had lived to see it. Just a few years ago all Bingo in this state were shut down, even the ones run by churches and the veterans organizations. Bingo was about my mom's only social outlet.. She loved to take a chance once in a while and gamble a bit. She always bought a few lottery tickets when we lived in Fl.  I think when the lottery starts I'm going to buy a ticket and take to her grave!!