A religious adoption bill is headed to Governor Abbott’s desk before the 85th legislative session wraps.
Former President of Lubbock Children’s Home Lynn Harms said the bill, sponsored by Senator Perry, will allow them to remove more children from the foster care system and place them in good homes.
“I think the majority of Texas sees this as being good, it passed the House I think at 91-54, it passed the Senate 21-10,” Harms said, “I think there’s a statement here that overall, this is good for Texas children.”
Not everyone views the ‘religious refusal’ bill as a positive measure. The law would allow adoption and foster care agencies to turn away potential adoptive parents they find objectionable, based on religious views.
“What this bill does, is it protects faith-based agencies with closely held religious beliefs from fear of law suits, or fear of losing our contract with the Department of Family Protective Services in the future,” Harms said.
In a statement, the Democratic Part of Lubbock said:
“HB 3859 allows welfare providers to use taxpayer money to refuse to serve LBGTQ people. This bill would allow child welfare organizations, agencies, employees, and foster patents that contract with the state to discriminate against LBGTQ families and others when making foster care and adoption decisions.
The only consideration for a child welfare agency, organization, its employees, and foster paretns should always be the best interested of the child not advancing the interested of beliefs of a state contractor.
Discrimination is not a Texas value. HB 3859 is morally wrong and legally problematic. Lubbock Democrats remain committed to respect for our neighbors, real family values, and what this should all be really about: Texas children.”
Harms said there are historic examples of both federal and local governments funding religious charity organizations and services.
“You have finite resources. Do you want to take those resources and use them to defend yourself in court, which is very time consuming and costly, or do you want to take those resources and serve children?”