High Court Sides With Adoptees

The state Supreme Court in Portland, Ore., cleared the way for adoptees to find out the names of their birth parents, but opponents of the state’s open records law could still take their challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court. The state’s top court decided, 5 to 2, to reject motions to reconsider its March ruling that upheld a law giving adult adoptees access to birth certificates. Opponents say the law breaks a promise of secrecy made to women who gave up children for adoption, since original birth certificates usually list the names of biological parents. Adoptees backing the Oregon law say they have the right to know the identities of their birth parents.