The news broke late last Friday. This via the Associated Press:

Legislation that would allow private adoption agencies to deny placements that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs, including opposition to homosexuality, sailed through the Virginia House of Delegates by a wide margin and without debate Friday.

The House passed the Republican-backed bill 71-28 a day after rejecting several amendments offered by Democrats aimed at softening the measure. Earlier Friday, the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee endorsed its version of the bill on an 8-7 party-line vote, sending it to the floor for a vote next week. Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell is expected to sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Woodstock and sponsor of the House bill, says it protects religious freedom.

An update from the Family Foundation of Virginia on the events we have been monitoring in Virginia:

The Virginia Board of Social Services [has] voted to delay the implementation of recently approved adoption regulations under the threat of costly litigation from the ACLU and Equality Virginia (see The Norfolk Virginian-Pilot). In a not unexpected decision, the vote will allow for 30 days of additional comment, beginning September 12. As we noted yesterday, however, with Governor Bob McDonnell and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli opposing the old proposed regulations on several grounds, opponents will only succeed in dragging out the process longer and perhaps set the stage for a legal action challenging Virginia law.

... At yesterday’s meeting, a host of representatives from the homosexual lobby spoke in favor of the additional comment period (see Washington Post Virginia Politics Blog). Some of the speakers honestly stated that they believed allowing homosexuals to adopt should take precedence over the religious liberty rights of faith-based organizations.

From the WaPo's Virginia Politics blog:

Virginia Social Services Commissioner Martin Brown, who was appointed by Gov. Bob McDonnell and who also worked for two other Republican governors, George Allen and Jim Gilmore, is advising a state board that it cannot impose proposed regulations that some argue would, for the first time, allow same-sex couples in Virginia to adopt children.... The proposed changes would require private and faith-based groups, such as Catholic Charities and Jewish Family Services, to allow gay parents to adopt or foster children.

The article notes that the State Board of Social Services will consider the issue Wednesday.

The Washington Times undertook an independent survey of the comments posted during the public comment section over Virginia's proposed new adoption regs. Here's what they found:

"Fewer than 30 people supported the changes, according to a Washington Times review of the 1,074 comments."

Thank you once again to everyone who helped us get the word out last week - your efforts resulted in an absolutely overwhelming show of opposition to these harmful proposed changes.

Please continue to encourage VA Gov. Bob McDonnell to oppose these regs (you can do so easily right here). He's already expressed opposition to changing the system and thereby threatening all the religious-based organizations that already work on behalf of kids in Virginia, but let's make sure he continues to hear from us.