Arkansas Proposed Initiative Act No. 1 (2008) is an

initiated state statute In political science, an initiative (also known as a popular initiative or citizens' initiative) is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a pu ...

that was approved on November 4, 2008, election in

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...

. This measure makes it illegal for any individuals

cohabiting Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not married, usually couples, live together. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become increas ...

outside of a valid marriage to adopt or provide foster care to minors. While the measure was proposed primarily to prohibit

same-sex couples A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries ...

from being adoptive or foster parents, this measure also applies to all otherwise qualified couples who are not legally married. On December 30, 2008, the ACLU filed suit in state court on behalf of 29 adults and children, challenging Act 1 as unconstitutional. On April 16, 2010, the law was overturned by Circuit Court Judge Chris Piazza in the case '' Arkansas Department of Human Services v. Cole''. His ruling was upheld unanimously by the Arkansas Supreme Court on April 7, 2011.State Supreme Court strikes down adoption ban

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External links

The initiative in full textArkansas Unmarried Couple Adoption Ban (2008)
ballotpedia.org
Family Council (Supportive)Arkansas Families First (Opposition)
* ttp://www.followthemoney.org/press/ReportView.phtml?r=406 The Money Behind the 2008 Same-Sex Partnership Ballot Measures - National Institute on Money in State Politics

References

2008 Arkansas elections 2008 ballot measures Arkansas ballot measures LGBT law in the United States Discrimination against LGBT people in the United States 2008 in LGBT history LGBT adoption in the United States LGBT rights in Arkansas Adoption law in the United States Marriage in Arkansas {{Arkansas-stub

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