Enough with the rain already.
Governor Bill Ritter signed into law two pieces of legislation that will have steam coming out of the ears of conservative Republicans. As Alan Gathright of the Rocky Mountain News reports:
Gov. Bill Ritter signed bills into law Monday allowing gay couples to adopt and requiring science-based sex education standards at school districts offering human-sexuality courses. Some religious groups, including Catholic Charities, had urged Ritter to veto House Bill 1330, the so-called second-parent adoption bill.
Focus on the Family founder James Dobson also called on his Christian radio show listeners to voice opposition to such legislation, saying “liberals have declared war on traditional morality and traditional family values in this state.”
But in signing a flurry of 26 bills into law Monday, Ritter said the second-parent adoption measure provides more children the emotional and financial security that comes with having two parents.
“From my experience in law enforcement, I know how important it is for children to grow up in a stable environment,” Ritter, who served as Denver’s district attorney for 12 years, said in a statement. “This law gives children in a one-parent family a chance to grow up in a two-parent home.”
“This law will give children a better chance to succeed,” he added. Previously, only married couples or single parents – straight or gay – could adopt under state law…
… Ritter also signed House Bill 1292, which requires that public schools offering sex education adopt standards rooted in sound scientific research.
The law advises districts to encourage parental involvement in crafting the standards and to teach that “sexual abstinence is the only certain way and the most effective to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.”
Critics warned the law will ban abstinence-only sex education classes, but Ritter said it will help reduce Colorado’s ranking as the 22nd state in the nation for the number of teen pregnancies.
How dare he support something rooted in sound scientific research! James Dobson knows how to stop kids from having sex
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