Colorado Catholic Conference asks governor to veto same-sex adoption bill

Denver, Colo., Apr 18, 2007 / 13:01 pm

The Colorado Catholic Conference, which is supported by the Archdiocese of Denver and Dioceses of Colorado Springs and Pueblo, has written a letter to Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, urging him not to sign a new bill that would make possible homosexual adoption, against the will of the people.

The Catholic Conference had joined efforts to amend House Bill 1330 and solve some of the many difficulties the legislation presents for adoption agencies, such as those run by Catholic Charities.

The bill, they say, “fails to recognize the intricacies of adoption law and processes, and therefore is not in the best interests of children or the people of Colorado.”

“House Bill 1330 was drafted in a manner that did not take into consideration the many voices, groups, and organizations who are directly involved with family life matters and adoptions,” the organization said in a statement yesterday.  “Input from adoption agencies, such as Catholic Charities, was not sought during the drafting process of this legislation.”
 
Furthermore, the Catholic Conference said, “House Bill 1330 seeks to circumvent the clearly expressed will of Colorado voters who clearly rejected Referendum I in November of 2006.”  Referendum I, which would have similarly allowed same-sex couples the possibility of adopting children was rejected by a majority of Coloradans during a popular vote.
 
Bill 1330, which passed the Colorado State Senate last week now rests on the desk of Colorado Governor Bill Ritter.  The Catholic governor’s spokesman, Evan Dreyer, told the AP that Ritter is inclined to sign the Bill despite the bishops’ urging otherwise.

“This legislation, if it becomes law,” the Catholic Conference warned, “will have a negative impact on the state of the adoption process in Colorado for years to come.”