LITTLE ROCK—Supporters of a proposed Arkansas constitutional amendment that would exclude unmarried couples from adoptions or foster care submitted a revised version Oct. 24 that would declare married couples the best guardians for Arkansas children.

The Arkansas Family Council submitted the revised ballot proposal, along with a new popular name, although Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel had certified the group’s original proposal the week before, clearing the way for supporters to collect voter signatures.

Days after he certified the proposal, McDaniel said he personally opposed the ban. “Foster parenting and adoption should be based on qualifications and what is in the best interest of a child, not sexual orientation,” he said.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe also opposes the measure.

The group will have to collect more than 61,000 signatures of valid voters by July 7, 2008, to get the measure on the general election ballot. The initiative would effectively reinstate a ban on gay foster parents that Arkansas’ highest court struck down.