When were gay couples allowed to adopt usa

Doug Ducey issued Wednesday night.

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The statement came shortly after Ducey and his administration learned the Arizona Department of Child Safety in early February had ordered its staff to halt joint foster-care licenses and adoptions for same-sex couples. That's why I feel strongly — as I have said many times before — that all loving families should be able to serve as foster parents and adopt," Ducey said in his statement.

All children deserve a loving home, and under my watch, I'm committed to making sure government encourages that. Under past Arizona law defining marriage as between only a man and a woman, the state did not allow married same-sex couples to be licensed to adopt or foster as a married couple.

Same-sex couples got around the issue by having one of the partners file as a single person. After a November ruling by the U. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit that overturned Arizona's marriage ban for same-sex couples, the department began issuing licenses to legally married same-sex couples.

But then in an internal Feb. The only reason given was because the U. Supreme Court on Jan. The policy is believed to have stemmed from legal advice from the Arizona Attorney General's Office. Ryan Anderson, Attorney General Mark Brnovich's communications director, said the office "provided a clarification on the law on adoption preference based on the Supreme Court's consideration of this issue.

Anderson, after learning of Ducey's statement, said, "This office has consistently maintained that this is a policy decision for the governor or for the Legislature. The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona learned of the rule change from couples affected by the change, and in late February sent Brnovich and McKay a letter requesting they end the new policy immediately, and threatening legal action.

Ducey's statement Wednesday is consistent with his letter earlier this month vetoing legislation that would have allowed counties to deny adoption legal services to same-sex couples. Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery has maintained that the court rulings surrounding marriage bans do not automatically extend to other rights such as adoption.

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