Lansing Update publishes on Fridays when the Michigan Legislature is in session and chronicles legislative activity of interest to Michigan Catholic Conference. Join the Catholic Advocacy Network to receive Lansing Update in your inbox. This week: School Safety Device Bill Close to Final Adoption; House Next to Consider Elder Abuse Legislation; MCC Supports Energy Freedom Package; 2020 Census: Count Begins in March. Read more…

Lansing Update publishes on Fridays when the Michigan Legislature is in session and chronicles legislative activity of interest to Michigan Catholic Conference. Join the Catholic Advocacy Network to receive Lansing Update in your inbox. This week: MCC Responds to Governor's Budget Recommendations; New Faithful Citizenship Resources Available This Election Season; With Bipartisan Support, Marijuana Warning Label Bills Await Governor's Signature; Committee Approves Measure to Assist Stillborn Families. Read more…

In a joint presentation to lawmakers, Governor Gretchen Whitmer presented her executive recommendations for the upcoming 2020–21 state budget. While MCC appreciates the governor’s inclusion of funding that fights opioid abuse and addiction, supports elder care and foster care, and maintains the state’s shared time program, concerns remain about the governor’s disregard of nonpublic schools. Additionally, MCC applauded the proposal’s efforts to support vulnerable women during and after pregnancy but also called for further clarification about the plan’s intent regarding “reproductive health care.” Read more…

Every ten years, the United States conducts a nationwide census, or count, of its population. The 2020 Census will begin in mid-March, and all individuals living in the country as of April 1, 2020 are invited to respond by phone, by mail, and for the first time ever, online. This edition of FOCUS addresses the significance of the 2020 Census—including its impact on legislative representation and the distribution of federal funding—and encourages efforts to ensure all Michiganders are counted. Read more…

Lansing Update publishes on Fridays when the Michigan Legislature is in session and chronicles legislative activity of interest to Michigan Catholic Conference. Join the Catholic Advocacy Network to receive Lansing Update in your inbox. This week: School Choice Week Rally Highlights Need for Educational Options; Legislature Recognizes Michigan Catholic Schools for Benefiting Society; MCC Advocates on Poverty Programs, Education at Annual Gathering; March for Life Provides Inspiring Witness for Life, MCC Reflects; Governor Delivers State of the State to Michiganders. Read more…

Lansing Update publishes on Fridays when the Michigan Legislature is in session and chronicles legislative activity of interest to Michigan Catholic Conference. Join the Catholic Advocacy Network to receive Lansing Update in your inbox. This week: March for Life Draws Enormous Crowd in D.C.; MCC Supports Measures for Minority Mothers, Stillborn Families; Legislature Issues Catholic Schools Week Resolutions; Blaine Case Opportunity to "End Shameful Legacy"; USCCB Grateful for Federal Religious Freedom Measures; Upcoming Dates: State of the State and the Budget Process. Read more…

Lansing Update publishes on Fridays when the Michigan Legislature is in session and chronicles legislative activity of interest to Michigan Catholic Conference. Join the Catholic Advocacy Network to receive Lansing Update in your inbox. This week: 2020 Census: Apply Now for Temporary Positions; Citizen's Redistricting Commission Accepting Applications; The Word from Lansing: Advocacy Successes in 2019. Read more…

The beginning of January marks the halfway point of the 2019–2020 state legislative session. While the process of making good public policy is gradual and there is much work left to be done, MCC celebrates several recent advocacy successes at the State Capitol. The Word from Lansing column highlights successful efforts regarding juvenile justice reform, the protection of human life, and suicide prevention. Read more…

Lansing Update publishes on Fridays when the Michigan Legislature is in session and chronicles legislative activity of interest to Michigan Catholic Conference. Join the Catholic Advocacy Network to receive Lansing Update in your inbox. This week: Petition Drive to Ban Dismemberment Abortion Advances to State Board; Michigan Legislature Returns to Lansing. Read more…

Michigan Catholic Conference is applauding the Catholic community in this state for gathering tens of thousands of signatures that are among 379,418 total signatures submitted to the Board of State Canvassers to end the second trimester dismemberment abortion procedure. “It cannot be overstated how grateful Michigan Catholic Conference is for the participation of the seven dioceses in the state and the hundreds of Catholic entities that worked to support this initiative,” MCC said in a news release. “The Catholic community has been engaged since day one, and the level of participation only escalated the more informed citizens became of the barbaric nature of this particular abortion procedure.” Read more…

Michigan is known as the first government in the English-speaking world and first American state to abolish the death penalty. While Michigan’s constitutional ban remains in effect, the U.S. Department of Justice recently announced it would resume the death penalty for federal crimes. The Word from Lansing column for December examines the new federal policy and why it is the wrong response for America. Read more…

MCC’s advocacy agenda places a heavy emphasis on supporting policies that positively impact vulnerable persons and others in need. From protecting the Children’s Clothing Allowance to expanding Medicaid coverage, to weatherization assistance and prioritizing marriage in state assistance programs, MCC is an advocate for the poor and vulnerable. This edition of FOCUS touches on these subjects while highlighting the Michigan Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income workers. Read more…