Fla. Speaker Wants Adoption Ban Back

Dean Cannon, the speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, wants to return the ban on adoption by same-sex couples.

The 33-year-old ban was overturned by the courts last year, and former governor Charlie Crist ordered the Department of Children and Families to stop enforcing the ban. Former attorney general Bill McCollum decided not to appeal the ruling, and the window for appealing has since closed.

Cannon discussed his views in an interview on Jan. 20 with the Florida Baptist Witness, where he said that the Republican-controlled legislature would be prepared to attempt to resurrect the adoption ban depending on how the issue plays out in more court districts or the administration of Gov. Rick Scott.

"Until we know how the governor and DCF secretary are going to apply it, it's not a foregone conclusion that the Legislature should step in," said Cannon. "If we think we should, we're certainly prepared and willing to do so."

Last month, Gov. Scott appointed an administrator, David Wilkins, with fundamentalist Christian ties to lead DCF. The governor opposes adoption by same-sex couples, but he insisted that reinstituting the ban was not on his agenda.