Nineteen states, including Nebraska, joined last week to oppose a proposed federal rule that aims to protect LGBTQ youth in foster care and provide them with necessary services. The attorneys general, led by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, argue in a letter to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services that the proposed rule — which requires states to provide safe and appropriate placements with providers who are appropriately trained about the child’s sexual orientation or gender identity — amounts to religion-based discrimination and violates freedom of speech. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers said in a statement the proposed rule unlawfully conditions federal funding and “almost certainly will drive parents of faith out of the foster care system.”