SPRINGFIELD, Ill. • Religious organizations that provide foster care and adoption services are again trying to carve out exceptions to Illinois' new civil unions statute, saying they shouldn't be forced to choose between their values and the law.

Supporters of the new law—which gives same-sex couples the same adoption rights as traditional couples—are vowing to keep it intact. Randy Hannig, director of public policy for Equality Illinois, said "this marks the fifth time in a year that our opponents have tried to carve out an exemption for themselves, and all three branches of state government have rejected their argument.”

State Rep. Dwight Kay, R- Edwardsville, again filed legislation that would allow religion based or affiliated adoption agencies with state contracts to decline an adoption or foster family home application, as well as licensure and placement, to anyone in a civil union. State Rep. David Reis, R-Ste. Marie and state Rep. Paul Evans, R-O'Fallon, are co-sponsors of the legislation.

Same-sex couples were granted the same legal rights as married couples under the civil union legislation enacted on June 1. Under the new law, the state insisted that the Belleville Diocese, Catholic Charities and others either allow same-sex couples into their foster and adoptive programs, or lose their state contracts. The groups lost the contracts, as well as their state funding.

"We've lost some of these organizations," Kay said. "The Catholic Church is using their own funds but I don't think they can do it for too long."

Kay said his legislation is "just another common sense bill."

"Religious based childcare done by Catholic and Lutheran organizations has been an integral part of the state of Illinois," Kay said. "It has done a better job of handling child care services and it's done much cheaper."

Kay created this legislation after being approached by several concerned members of the Catholic Church last spring after the civil union bill passed. He said he thinks his legislation has a good chance of passing this session.

“All child welfare agencies that accept public funds to offer adoption and foster care services on behalf of the state should not be allowed to discriminate and need only to weigh the best interests of the child when making placement decisions,” Hannig said.

Under Kay's legislation, if a same-sex couple is declined an adoption or family foster care application, the respective agency is required to refer the prospective parents to the Department of Children and Family Services for a regional agency.

Kay filed similar legislation last May that used identical language to a bill that failed in the Senate.

 Kay's legislation is HB3942.