Arkansas AG will
reject gay foster parents ban

Arkansas's attorney general said Wednesday he will reject a proposed voter-backed initiative aimed at barring unmarried couples from adopting or fostering children. A conservative group hoped to use the ban to keep gay couples from becoming foster parents.

Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said the proposal submitted by the Arkansas Family Council is inconsistent. He said the group would be allowed to redraft and resubmit it.

''I strongly suspect they will incorporate our changes and maybe a few of their own, resubmit it, and I'll ultimately certify it. But it did not meet the legal requirements to certify it right now,'' McDaniel said.

Courts overturned Arkansas's previous ban on gay foster parents. Jerry Cox, the Arkansas Family Council's executive director, has said that a voter-led initiative that targeted all unmarried couples-- not just gay couples-- would better withstand a judge's review.

Cox said last month that the group believes cohabiting heterosexuals are not safe for children, either.

If McDaniel approves a new draft proposal and the Arkansas Family Council obtains 61,947 valid signatures in time, the proposal would be on the November 2008 ballot. (AP)