In the long line of good bills that should pass but wont, I present to you H.B. 288 as proposed by Representative Rebecca Chavez-Houck (D – Salt Lake, District 24).
This bill would radically transform who could adopt in the state of Utah. As the law currently stands the statue states:
The Legislature specifically finds that it is not in a child’s best interest to be adopted by a person or person who are cohabitiating in a relationship that is not a legally valid and binding marriage under the laws of this state. Nothing in this section limits or prohibits the court’s placement of a child with a single adult who is not cohabitating as defined in this part.
In other words, the legislature fells it is always best for adopted children to be adopted into a married family. Chavez-Houck’s amendment would radically change this to:
The legislature specifically finds that is generally in a child’s best interest to be adopted by a person or person who are in a legally valid and bind marriage under the laws of this state.
Do you see the difference? It is subtle, but it is a giant leap forward for those families living in non-traditional relationships who still are able to prove that they can raise a child. You will also note that the language still states that the state would still prefer that an adopted child go to a married couple – just that we should not exclude others simply because life has taken them down a different course.
Of course, people will not see it this way. They will automatically see this as part of some homosexual agenda to convert our children to the dark side. They will never consider the fact that there are other types of non-nontraditional families who would be great parents to a child – and never mind the fact that there are plenty of children in the adoption system that deserve to be in good homes but can’t because there are not enough people who qualify.
This is a win-win for good parents and taking some burden off of the caseload involved in the adoption system. I hope this bill passes, but I severely doubt it.
