Ed Brayton is a journalist, commentator and speaker. He is the co-founder and president of 
Remember the town of Black Jack, MO? Back in 2006, they denied an occupancy permit to a family because the parents weren't married. The ACLU filed suit on behalf of the family and the city council quickly settled the case. But they changed the policy to say that families headed by unmarried couples could get occupancy permits only if the children are biologically related to both parents. Now they've denied housing to a family where the kids are only related to one of the adults in the house.
The city attorney says he's willing to fight it out in court. Good, but you're going to lose and you're going to lose badly. And then you're going to have to pay the legal fees of the plaintiffs. Idiots.
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There will always be an attorney who is eager for such cases. Win or lose he gets paid.
With all the lawsuits against medical doctors for recklessness and/or incompetence, it surprises me that lawyers are never sued for such :-(
Posted by: Ben Abbott | May 31, 2008 12:13 PM
They apparently believe they can keep all those "big city" problems out of their nice, moral little town. This article suggests they can't.
Posted by: BaldApe | May 31, 2008 1:15 PM
And what happens to people that have adopted so that the kid is not biologically related to either person?
Posted by: Trisha | May 31, 2008 11:18 PM
"An occupancy permit? For a private residence?
What possible reason could the government have for determining who may or may not live in a private home?
It's outrageous."
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2023053/posts (post4)
I agree with a freeper... What is the world coming to?
Posted by: Robin Levett | June 1, 2008 10:05 AM
I notice they changed thier definition because of an earlier couple. One of them had the surname "Loving". No relation I presume? -DJ
Posted by: DingoJack | June 1, 2008 10:18 AM
Sadly, the zoning code is legal, in part because MO is one of many states that do not prohibit marital status discrimination in their Human Rights codes. The Alternatives to Marriage Project is preparing a national petition to the MO governor and offering MO residents an easy way to write their legislators. We're urging them to amend the Human Rights code to stop Black Jack and other Missouri towns from doing this again. Please join us!
Posted by: UnmarriedDotOrg | June 3, 2008 3:23 PM
Someone just won the lottery.
Posted by: Ian | June 3, 2008 9:29 PM
I can't even wrap my brain around this. If I were a single parent, could I get a permit? Could I then invite a friend to live in the house and share expenses, like most young adults find themselves doing once in a while?
Posted by: bullet | June 6, 2008 5:37 PM