ADF seeks to defend Ark. voter-approved act protecting adopted children

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund filed a motion to intervene Friday on behalf of the Family Council Action Committee to join the state of Arkansas in defending against a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union.  ACLU attorneys representing same-sex couples allege the state’s Act 1, which voters passed in last year’s November election to promote the best interests of children, is unconstitutional because it allegedly discriminates against unmarried cohabiting adults.

“Judges should not derail the democratic process by repealing Act 1 and deliberately deprive children of what the people of Arkansas know is the best home environment for them.  But that’s what the ACLU would have the court do,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Byron Babione.  “Arkansas voters spoke loudly and clearly in last November’s election, and the court should not allow the ACLU to nullify their voice at the ballot box.”

Research consistently establishes a home with a married mother and father as the best possible environment for children.  The Family Council Action Committee successfully carried out the petition drive and campaign which resulted in voter approval of Act 1 by a margin of 57 percent to 43 percent.

ADF-allied attorney Martha Adcock of the Arkansas Family Council is serving as local counsel in the case.

ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith.  Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.