Florida Family Voice Blog

Latest News

Faith Based Agencies at Risk After Governor Signs HB 7013

Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into law and approved a bill which removed Florida’s long standing law prohibiting homosexuals from adopting which also leaves Florida’s faith based adoption agency at risk of being legally attacked and shutting down. Catholic Charities and other faith-based agencies have closed in Massachusetts, Illinois, California and Washington, DC for similar reasons like having polices preferring placements of children with married mothers and fathers.

read more

A Summary Response to the Memorandum Issued by the Office of the General Counsel to the Florida Senate Regarding Conscience Clause for Adoption Agencies and Why HB-7111 is Needed to Protect Florida’s Faith-Based Child Placement Agencies

On April 14, 2015, the Office of the General Counsel for the Florida Senate released a legal opinion in a memorandum regarding “Conscience Clause for adoption agencies.” (Hereinafter referred to as the “Opinion.”) In the opening paragraph of the Opinion, the primary conclusion of the 5 page document states: “I believe that religious organizations would be granted no significant legal protection by House Bill 7111 in light of the Florida Religious Freedom Restoration Act (FRFRA) and its interpreting case law.”

There are a number of legal issues overlooked by the Opinion and therefore the following “Additional Comments” are being presented to members of the Florida Senate for their consideration:

read more

An Open Letter to the Florida Legislature: Regarding Florida’s Law Prohibiting Homosexual Adoptions

Dear Florida Legislators,
There appears to be a fair amount of misleading information regarding Florida’s long standing law prohibiting homosexual persons from adopting children and the legal consequences of striking that language from the statutes. Please consider the following seven legal facts, arguments, and perspectives on this very important aspect of Florida law.

read more

Letter: Family Research Council on Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act

The enactment of Indiana’s religious freedom restoration bill is not about religious bigotry, anti-homosexual bias, hatred, intolerance, or marginalizing anyone….This is about protecting the religious liberty of people of faith and families of faith across this country, that’s what it’s been for more than 20 years, and that’s what it is now as the law in Indiana.

read more

Regarding: CS/HB 7013: Adoption & Foster Care

Analysis

The Florida Adoption Act provides, in pertinent part, “No person eligible to adopt under this statute may adopt if that person is a homosexual.” Fla. Stat. § 63.042(3).

In 1993, Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal held the statute constitutional on both due process and equal protection grounds, under both the Florida Constitution and the United States Constitution. Florida Dep’t of Health & Rehabilitative Servs. v. Cox, 627 So. 2d 1210 (Fla. 2d DCA 1993). The Florida Supreme Court approved the decision on due process grounds, but remanded the case for the development of an evidentiary record as to equal protection. Cox v. Florida Dep’t of Health & Rehabilitative Servs., 656 So. 2d 902 (Fla. 1995). No further proceedings occurred, however, leaving the Florida Supreme Court opinion undisturbed.

read more

Special Notes

Summer scholarships available for student leadership programs

Do you know of a student between the ages of 16 and 24 who would benefit from an exciting summer program that teaches leadership, communications, and a Christian worldview? We have several opportunities and full scholarships available for qualified students!

Two special speaker announcements for our annual dinner

(Orlando, FL) US Sen. Marco Rubio will address Florida Family Policy Council’s 2022 Annual Policy Awards dinner and state Sen. Aaron Bean will serve as MC. The featured speaker for the evening is CEO of the Babylon Bee Seth Dillon, and the event will take place on Saturday, May 14th at the Rosen Centre Hotel.

Latest Videos

Shares
Share This