''Arkansas needs to affirm the importance of married mothers and fathers. We need to publicly affirm the gold standard of rearing children whenever we can. The state standard should be as close to that gold standard of married mom and dad homes as possible.''

Jerry Cox, President of the Family Council, a group which is reported to have collected over 85,000 signatures to have a ballot measure in place this November that would prevent unmarrieds -- including lesbian and gay people -- from adopting and fostering children. The effort is said to be a second attempt aimed at gays after the state's Supreme Court struck down a law in 2006 that specifically prevented gay people from fostering. (Associated Press)

"'A proposed act providing that a minor may not be adopted or placed in a foster home if the individual seeking to adopt or to serve as a foster parent is cohabiting with a sexual partner outside of a marriage which is valid under the constitution and laws of this state; stating that the foregoing prohibition applies equally to cohabiting opposite-sex and same-sex individuals; stating that the act will not affect the guardianship of minors; defining "minor" to mean an individual under the age of eighteen (18) years; stating that the public policy of the state is to favor marriage, as defined by the constitution and laws of this state, over unmarried cohabitation with regard to adoption and foster care; finding and declaring on behalf of the people of the state that it is in the best interest of children in need of adoption or foster care to be reared in homes in which adoptive or foster parents are not cohabiting outside of marriage; providing that the Director of the Department of Human Services shall promulgate regulations consistent with the act; and providing that the act applies prospectively beginning on January 1, 2009.''

Text of proposed law to ban same-sex adoptions and other adoptions by unmarried partners in the state of Arkansas. (Arkansas.gov)