The GOP's Continued Assault Against The LGBT Community On The State Level

The South Dakota Legislature on Thursday approved a bill that allows taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to refuse to place children with LGBT families based on religious beliefs or moral convictions.

Senate Bill 149 states that “no child-placement agency may be required to provide any service that conflicts with, or provide any service under circumstances that conflict with any sincerely-held religious belief or moral conviction of the child-placement agency that shall be contained in a written policy, statement of faith, or other document adhered to by a child-placement agency.”

The measure easily cleared the House (43-20) and Senate (22-12), both of which are controlled by Republicans.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, called on Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard to veto the bill. Last year, Daugaard vetoed a bill (HB 1008) that prohibited transgender students from using the bathroom of their choice.

“We implore Governor Daugaard to veto this legislation. This proposal grants state-funded adoption agencies a license to discriminate, harming children in need of families by rejecting a wide range qualified prospective of parents including LGBTQ parents and by acting against the best interest of LGBTQ youth in the agency’s care,” said HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow. “Last year, when Governor Daugaard vetoed HB 1008, he stood on the right side of history and protected transgender children. He must do the same now. This legislation puts discrimination ahead of the best interests of more than a thousand children in South Dakota waiting for a loving home.”

Daugaard has five days to either sign or veto the bill; otherwise, it becomes law. A spokesman for the governor told the Washington Blade that Daugaard has yet to decide on the measure.