Arkansas Proposed Initiative Act No. 1 (2008) is an initiated state statute that was approved on November 4, 2008, election in Arkansas. This measure makes it illegal for any individuals cohabiting outside of a valid marriage to adopt or provide foster care to minors. While the measure was proposed primarily to prohibit same-sex couples from being adoptive or foster parents, this measure also applies to all otherwise qualified couples who are not legally married.
On December 30, 2008, the ACLU filed suit in state court on behalf of 29 adults and children, challenging Act 1 as unconstitutional.
On April 16, 2010, the law was overturned by Circuit Court Judge Chris Piazza in the case Arkansas Department of Human Services v. Cole. His ruling was upheld unanimously by the Arkansas Supreme Court on April 7, 2011.
Results
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
 Yes
|
586,248 | 57.07 |
| No | 440,945 | 42.93 |
| Invalid or blank votes | 60,243 | 5.5 |
| Total votes | 1,087,436 | 100.00 |
See also
External links
- The initiative in full text
- Arkansas Unmarried Couple Adoption Ban (2008) ballotpedia.org
- Family Council (Supportive)
- Arkansas Families First (Opposition)
- Cole v. Arkansas - Case Profile (ACLU challenge to Act 1)
- The Money Behind the 2008 Same-Sex Partnership Ballot Measures - National Institute on Money in State Politics
References
- Attorney General OKs Second Gay Adoption Ban Archived 2007-11-23 at the Wayback Machine Times Record Online. Thursday, November 8, 2007
- Arkansas: Adoption Law is Challenged New York Times Online. December 31, 2008
- State judge overturns Ark. adoption ban law
- State Supreme Court strikes down adoption ban Archived 2012-03-11 at the Wayback Machine
- "Statewide Results of Election (2008)".
 | This article about lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender-related law is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
 | This Arkansas-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |
- 2008 Arkansas elections
- 2008 ballot measures
- Arkansas ballot measures
- LGBTQ law in the United States
- Discrimination against LGBTQ people in the United States
- 2008 in LGBTQ history
- Same-sex adoption in the United States
- LGBTQ rights in Arkansas
- Adoption law in the United States
- Marriage in Arkansas
- LGBTQ law stubs
- Arkansas stubs