Florida

Southwest Florida's WINK News reports on the current financial struggle of the state's foster care system. According to the news source, "deep cuts in the state budget" could damage the lives of thousands of children in Florida's foster network.

The following video shows what can happen when constitutional amendments are passed. Tom and Dennis Patrick lost their joint health benefits when Michigan passed an amendment to "protect" families. The Patrick family lost their shared health insurance after Michigan's attorney general ruled that state employees could no longer share benefits.

State Senator Nan Rich (pictured) has introduced a new bill that would allow judges to consider the child's best interest when placing them in permanent homes. Representative Mary Brandenburg is sponsoring the bill in the House.

A year ago Janice Langbehn's partner of nearly 18 years was pronounced brain dead after being stricken with a brain aneurysm. While at Jackson Memorial Hospital - in Miami - she was met with prejudice and apathy. Janice and her family were consistently denied visitation and didn't see her partner, Lisa Pond, until many hours after she was admitted. Lambda Legal has officially sent a notice of intent to sue to the hospital on Janice's behalf.

Fair-minded citizens of Florida must get themselves to a voting booth this November. The plan to ban same-sex marriage - via a constitutional amendment - has generated anxiety and action for a growing number of Florida voters.

And the plan is moving forward. The Associated Press is reporting, the same-sex marriage ban was certified with 649,346 signatures - 38,337 more than the minimum.

Jessica Cohn-Kleinberg (pictured) is a senior at a Miami high school. She's spent the past three years working for Safe Schools South Florida and other groups - speaking to counselors, teachers and students about life with gay parents.

Signature collection is getting more difficult for right-wing extremists on both coasts. A group in California has failed to garner enough support to remove civil rights protections provided by SB 777.

And now the Orlando Sentinel reports that a conservative group backing the gay-marriage ban has failed to collect the appropriate amount of signatures necessary to place a constitutional amendment - to ban gay marriage - on the 2008 ballot.