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Catholic Charities to appeal foster-care ruling

(via Flickr/steakpinball)

An attorney for Catholic Charities says the not-for-profit agency will appeal a judge's ruling that the state of Illinois can stop working with the group on adoptions and foster-care placements.

Peter Breen says the group will ask for a stay of Sangamon County Circuit Judge John Schmidt's Aug. 18 ruling. The ruling sides with the state, which severed work with Catholic Charities after the agency refused to recognize Illinois' civil union law. Breen says the charity will ask the judge to reconsider.

Catholic Charities says it developed a "property interest" in the work after 40 years of annually renewed contracts with the state. The agency says it should be able to object to state action.

The judge ruled no one has a legal right to a state government contract.