CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – A national conservative Christian group has begun a telephone lobbying campaign in Wyoming in support of a same-sex marriage ban in the state Senate.

Focus on the Family Action, of Colorado Springs, Colo., is pushing to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would stop the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.

“We want to see marriages protected,” said Sonja Swiatkiewicz, director of issues response for Focus on the Family Action. She said the calls began Friday, but she would not disclose the cost or number of calls.

State law already says only marriages between a man and a woman may be conducted in Wyoming. However, the state is bound to recognize same-sex marriages and civil unions performed in other states.

Massachusetts and Connecticut are the only states that allow same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriages are not allowed elsewhere, and 30 states have taken the extra step of entrenching the ban in their state constitution.

Lobbying by out-of-state groups was cited as a key factor in the passing of a measure prohibiting same-sex marriage in California in November.

“I feel like the Focus on the Family has just moved into the state and wants to see this happen, and I hate to see us go in that direction,” Bob Spencer, a spokesman for Wyoming Equality.

The calls have targeted voters in districts represented by some members of the Senate Education Committee, where the resolution has been assigned. No committee vote has been scheduled because there isn’t enough support for it to pass, said co-sponsor Sen. Curt Meier, R-LaGrange.

“I’ve heard from several people in Laramie asking me to support the bill,” said Sen. Mike Massie, D-Laramie, who opposes the bill. “But I’ve also heard from several people who received the calls and contacted me specifically to ask me to vote against it.”

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – A majority of Floridians believe it is OK for gays and lesbians to adopt children.

A Quinnipiac University poll of 1,370 Floridians showed 55 percent favor doing away with a state law that prohibits gays from adopting compared to 39 percent who want to keep the ban. Democrats and independent voters were in the majority favoring of eliminating the ban while Republicans and white evangelical Christians supported the law.

But only 27 percent said gays should be allowed to marry while 35 percent favored civil unions and 31 percent said there should be no legal recognition of gay unions.

Quinnipiac’s poll released Jan. 22, has an error rate of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Having sex with the intention of spreading a deadly disease like AIDS would be a felony in Nebraska under a proposal in the state Legislature.

State Sen. Pete Pirsch of Omaha introduced the bill (LB625) Jan. 21, that would also make it illegal to sell or donate organs, blood, semen and other bodily fluids with the intention of spreading a deadly disease.

Sharing hypodermic needles with the same purpose would also be illegal.

Pirsch wants a harsh penalty for violating the proposed law.

Violators would be guilty of a Class 1B felony, which carries a minimum prison sentence of 20 years, and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) – New Jersey’s first needle exchange program is showing mixed results, succeeding in distributing clean needles but not doing as well in terms of getting drug addicts into rehab.

Atlantic City’s program started in November 2007 as a three-year test to see if giving drug users clean needles could slow the spread of HIV and hepatitis.

The Press of Atlantic City reports that the resort city dispensed far more clean needles than similar programs in Camden, Paterson and Newark.

Atlantic City gave out 60,001 needles between the start of the program and Jan. 5.

“Word of mouth is obviously working,” said Ronald Cash, the city’s director of Health and Human Services.

But the program is struggling to refer addicted clients to drug treatment. According to state statistics, Atlantic City ranked last among the four programs in drug referrals, with just 74 as of Dec. 21.

Therese Wilkerson, a co-coordinator of the city’s program, said guiding their clients into treatment is hard to do; counselors must try to coax clients toward help without pushing so hard that they scare them away.

“I wish we could do better, but we can’t push it on them,” she said.

The pilot program recently added a housing component, designed to place addicts in low-income housing. Some participants are responsible for paying partial rent. If they are employed, they must contribute 30 percent of their income.

The housing project is a response to studies that show drug users with stable housing are more likely to get off drugs and become more stable citizens. The program received 31 vouchers from the state, which house 15 people who are currently in drug treatment and 16 people who are not in treatment.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Organizers of a large children’s consignment sale in Raleigh say the will change a policy after a same-sex couple were questioned by workers.

The Kids Exchange sale allows its volunteers to shop for clothes and toys before the sale opens to the public, but they are only allowed to bring a spouse.

Amanda Lenhart told the News & Observer of Raleigh that she was stopped at the door and again at the register Wednesday when she went shopping with her partner and volunteer, Kathy Perry.

Kids Exchange co-founder Amy Winstead says the policy was not meant to discriminate against gays or lesbians.

She says the policy could also be unfair to single mothers and military families, and she will let volunteers vote at the next sale if they want to shop alone or bring a guest.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) – Groups pushing legislation to ban discrimination against gays and lesbians say the bill is not about same-sex marriages but about fairness.

The legislation, introduced by Fargo state Sen. Tom Fiebiger, aims to bar discrimination in housing, employment, credit transactions and the use of public accommodations based on sexual orientation.

Supporters held news conferences in four cities to announce it.

Bo Chung is president of the University of North Dakota’s Ten Percent Society. He says it’s unfair to fire or evict someone because of their sexual orientation.

Chung says he knows of no specific incidents of such discrimination in North Dakota, but he says there’s no way to track them. He says, “we don’t want to wait until something happens to somebody before we can do anything about it.”

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Gay rights advocates are gearing up for efforts to persuade the state Legislature to pass a package of bills that would give basic civil rights to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Utahns.

A group gathered at a chapel on Capitol Hill Jan. 20, calling on lawmakers to support the Common Ground Initiative during their session, which started the following week.

Bountiful Community Church of Christ Rev. Russell Baker says the group of bills, pushed by advocacy group Equality Utah, is not part of a gay agenda but is rather about human rights.

State Senate President Michael Waddoups says he thinks lawmakers should look at the bills, which would address issues like fair housing and employment and domestic partnership rights.

Equality Utah Public Policy Manager Will Carlson says activists will use phone banks and video testimonials to lobby lawmakers.