Va. Gov Won't Force Gay Adoption Regs on All

Gov. Bob McDonnell, R-Va., has come out against regulations drawn up by his predecessor and now U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine that would allow gay couples to adopt in Virginia. The proposed regulations would allow unmarried couples, gay or straight, to adopt children through any state-licensed adoption agency including those run by religious groups, The Washington Post reports.

Under current law, only married couples and single men and woman can adopt in Virginia. The proposal would force groups such as Jewish Family Services and Catholic Charities to open up adoptions to gay couples, the governor’s office maintained.

“I don’t think we ought to force Catholic Charities to make that part of their policy or other similar situated groups. Many of our adoption agencies are faith-based groups that ought to be able to establish what their own policies are. Current regulations that say you can’t discriminate on the basis of race, color or national origin I think are proper. I think previous efforts to expand that to a number of other classes are going to have very strict scrutiny to make sure that we don’t inhibit the very fine work some faith-based organizations are doing,” McDonnell said, according to the Post.

Kaine proposed the changes in adoption regulations just two months before leaving office to become chairman of the Democratic National Committee. McDonnell is facing an April 16 deadline to make a recommendation on the matter to the State Board of Social Services, the Post said.