Senator Holt Press Release - Questions Willett & Halter on Homosexual Adoption
Senator Jim Holt Press Release
Released August 28, 06
Subject: Holt Questions Willett and Halter on Homosexual Adoption
The state-wide Democratic candidates and their party leader, Jason Willett, seem to be realizing of late that the electorate in Arkansas is in agreement with Senator Holt's so called "extremist" view on homosexual adoption and foster parenting, a view that Holt wrote into the bill, HB1119, that he and Rep. Adams sponsored in the 2005 session. Senator Holt was indeed surprised, along with many of Willett's fellow Democrats, when he read a few days ago that Willett, chairman of the state Democratic Party, said he "has a problem with the adoption of children by gay parents."
"I don't believe for one minute," said Senator Holt, "that Willett is sincere in that statement. He has just come to realize that this important issue could help defeat this liberal democratic ticket this November. It was liberal Democrat senators who killed our bill that would have prevented homosexual adoption and foster parenting."
HB1119 sailed through the House with 75% of the members voting for it. Then HB1119, which had been watered down to eliminate the word homosexual and allowing singles to adopt as long as they were not currently cohabitating, was killed in Senate Committee by four Democrats: The only Republican on the committee voted for it. The bill would likely have passed had it reached the Senate floor. In the House only 22 representatives voted against HB1119, which would have denied homosexual foster parenting. All of them were Democrats, but one.
"We know Mr. Halter was still living in California, but where was Willett during the legislative session when this battle was being fought? If he opposes homosexual adoption, why wasn't he there wielding his influence as chair of the Democratic Party or publicly speaking out on it as he is now doing?" Holt asked. “Gilbert Baker, the Republican chair was battling for the bill and even presented the bill to the Senate Judiciary Committee," Holt added.
It definitely would appear that since both Beebe and Halter have done some waffling on this gay adoption issue, that Willett now believes he has to help them deceive the people.
"It’s also interesting to note," Holt said, “that Arkansas was the only state in the South where both senators (Pryor and Lincoln) voted against the Federal Marriage Protection Amendment.”
Senator Holt wants to know if Willett is now saying, despite the fact that he has called Holt extreme as well as other colorful descriptive terms, that he would vote for Holt's bill in its original form which reads, "an act to clarify that the department of human services shall not place a child with an adoptive or foster parent who is homosexual."
"Bill Halter, my opponent, said about seven weeks ago that he wanted to study the issue more and later indicated he had some concern with the constitutionality of such a law and about whether it was in the best interest of the children to deny homosexual parenting," Holt said, "Isn't it time for him to cut through the rhetoric and tell the electorate if he would support the bill I sponsored on homosexual adoption in 2005 session and if it fits the standards he set out? And if not, why not?"
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Senator Holt began his public service as a representative in the Arkansas House after being elected by the people of the fifth district back in 2000. He was later elected to the Arkansas Senate in 2002, where he currently serves the 35th district, and won the Republican primary for Lt. Goveror. Jim was born in Camden, Arkansas and was reared in Northwest Arkansas. He joined the military in 1987 and served in the U.S. Army Joint Intelligence Operations at the National Security Agency under the presidencies of Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Bill Clinton. Holt was involved in highly classified operations during the Cold War, the ousting of Noriega from Panama, and Operation Desert Storm.
Released August 28, 06
Subject: Holt Questions Willett and Halter on Homosexual Adoption
The state-wide Democratic candidates and their party leader, Jason Willett, seem to be realizing of late that the electorate in Arkansas is in agreement with Senator Holt's so called "extremist" view on homosexual adoption and foster parenting, a view that Holt wrote into the bill, HB1119, that he and Rep. Adams sponsored in the 2005 session. Senator Holt was indeed surprised, along with many of Willett's fellow Democrats, when he read a few days ago that Willett, chairman of the state Democratic Party, said he "has a problem with the adoption of children by gay parents."
"I don't believe for one minute," said Senator Holt, "that Willett is sincere in that statement. He has just come to realize that this important issue could help defeat this liberal democratic ticket this November. It was liberal Democrat senators who killed our bill that would have prevented homosexual adoption and foster parenting."
HB1119 sailed through the House with 75% of the members voting for it. Then HB1119, which had been watered down to eliminate the word homosexual and allowing singles to adopt as long as they were not currently cohabitating, was killed in Senate Committee by four Democrats: The only Republican on the committee voted for it. The bill would likely have passed had it reached the Senate floor. In the House only 22 representatives voted against HB1119, which would have denied homosexual foster parenting. All of them were Democrats, but one.
"We know Mr. Halter was still living in California, but where was Willett during the legislative session when this battle was being fought? If he opposes homosexual adoption, why wasn't he there wielding his influence as chair of the Democratic Party or publicly speaking out on it as he is now doing?" Holt asked. “Gilbert Baker, the Republican chair was battling for the bill and even presented the bill to the Senate Judiciary Committee," Holt added.
It definitely would appear that since both Beebe and Halter have done some waffling on this gay adoption issue, that Willett now believes he has to help them deceive the people.
"It’s also interesting to note," Holt said, “that Arkansas was the only state in the South where both senators (Pryor and Lincoln) voted against the Federal Marriage Protection Amendment.”
Senator Holt wants to know if Willett is now saying, despite the fact that he has called Holt extreme as well as other colorful descriptive terms, that he would vote for Holt's bill in its original form which reads, "an act to clarify that the department of human services shall not place a child with an adoptive or foster parent who is homosexual."
"Bill Halter, my opponent, said about seven weeks ago that he wanted to study the issue more and later indicated he had some concern with the constitutionality of such a law and about whether it was in the best interest of the children to deny homosexual parenting," Holt said, "Isn't it time for him to cut through the rhetoric and tell the electorate if he would support the bill I sponsored on homosexual adoption in 2005 session and if it fits the standards he set out? And if not, why not?"
#########
Senator Holt began his public service as a representative in the Arkansas House after being elected by the people of the fifth district back in 2000. He was later elected to the Arkansas Senate in 2002, where he currently serves the 35th district, and won the Republican primary for Lt. Goveror. Jim was born in Camden, Arkansas and was reared in Northwest Arkansas. He joined the military in 1987 and served in the U.S. Army Joint Intelligence Operations at the National Security Agency under the presidencies of Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Bill Clinton. Holt was involved in highly classified operations during the Cold War, the ousting of Noriega from Panama, and Operation Desert Storm.
posted by Debbie Pelley at Friday, September 01, 2006
1 Comments:
Great press release, Senator Holt. Keep up the great work! And thanks so much for calling these liberals out for their flip flopping on such an important issue. The only reason they don't say what they really believe is because they know that if they did, they'd lose for sure. So they try to dance around the issue and not really say much, while at the same time trying to SOUND conservative. REAL leaders don't do that. Which proves my point that they're not leaders.
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