Allowing individuals to enter compensated contracts for the creation of children puts vulnerable surrogate mothers at greater risk of exploitation, MCC said in opposition to legislation that passed a state Senate committee, which would allow for compensated surrogacy contracts in the state and also make Michigan an outlier among the international community, which largely views surrogacy as a human rights violation.
MCC commends the state Senate for providing bipartisan support to legislation that would stop payday lenders in Michigan from charging exorbitant interest and fees on short-term loans that ensnare low-income customers in a cycle of debt.
With the Governor delivering her annual State of State address this week and her next budget recommendation due to be released soon, MCC issued a press release urging her and lawmakers to pursue policies primarily aimed at helping families support themselves.
Portions of the Growing Michigan Together Council final report issued today are welcome and deserve legislative support, however, policies that emphasize family life and encourage married couples to have and raise children in Michigan are unfortunately missing from the group’s recommendations to help grow the state’s population, MCC stated after the council’s report was released to the public.
To grow Michigan’s stagnant population, policymakers should view proposed solutions through the lens of supporting family life by making it easier to have and raise children in this state, according to a letter from MCC to the Governor’s council tasked with recommending policy goals to grow Michigan’s population.
Lansing Update publishes on Fridays when the Michigan Legislature is in session and chronicles legislative activity of interest to Michigan Catholic Conference.
This week, MCC spoke in support of the Legislature advancing limits on payday lending, but against lawmakers voting to support compensated surrogacy contracts. At the heart of both issues, MCC’s advocacy aims are the same: To protect the poor and vulnerable of our state. Read more in this week’s Lansing Update.
Just months after Pope Francis issued a call for a global ban on surrogacy, Michigan lawmakers resumed consideration of legalizing commercialized, compensated surrogacy contracts in this state, which would make Michigan an international outlier. Learn why MCC testified against this legislation and why it’s harmful for the vulnerable women who become surrogates in this week’s Lansing Update.
MCC advocates testified before lawmakers this week for legislation to cap interest on predatory payday loans as well as against legislation that would remove the promise of confidentiality for birth mothers who chose adoption. Read about the implications of these issues and why the Church in Michigan is speaking to them in this week’s Lansing Update.
MCC supported policies this week that ranged from improving foster care education, to protecting mobile home residents from unjust rent increases, to improving access to driver’s licenses. Plus, gun legislation backed by MCC has now taken effect in Michigan, but work remains to promote awareness of gun safety and prevent the loss of life. Read more in this week’s Lansing Update.
In the Governor’s budget announced this week, MCC took note of a number of funding increases for programs that help the most poor and vulnerable, while also expressing concern over cuts to funds nonpublic schools had previously been granted. Read more about the start of the conversation for the next state budget in this week’s Lansing Update.
The Word from Lansing is a regular column written by Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) staff for Catholic news outlets. Through these columns, MCC outlines current advocacy issues of importance to the Conference and discusses the Catholic position and role in the political process. This publication complements the more regular updates provided by Michigan Catholic Conference’s Catholic Advocacy Network.
In response to the ongoing discourse among Michigan public officials about the state’s stagnant population, MCC argues that public policies that support and grow family life will lead to population growth in Michigan.
The Church in Michigan encourages public officials to embrace the idea that the family is the primary cell of human society, and to consider economic and social policies that promote such a principle — with particular consideration given to families who are struggling to make ends meet.
As a package of dangerous anti-life bills remain stalled in the Legislature, some of our elected officials need the courage to stand firm in their convictions and oppose the Reproductive Health Act (RHA), and faithful Catholic citizens can help them do that by sending elected officials a message to vote no on the RHA.
The clergy abuse crisis inflicted on today’s Catholics has been a tragic chapter for the Church. Yet amidst the tragedy and scandal, there is hope for renewal and healing. To help advance understanding and awareness of a cultural change within the Church, the upcoming edition of Michigan Catholic Conference’s quarterly Focus publication shares how the Church in Michigan works to protect children and prevent abuse through safe environment protocols considered among the strongest in the nation.
The sheer impact of gun violence on human life should demand a response from Catholics, and MCC’s latest edition of Focus explains and clarifies how lay and ordained Catholics can support gun policies in the interest of protecting human life, with the goal to keep guns from people who may cause harm to themselves or others.
Focus is MCC’s quarterly publication that examines a social or public policy issue through the lens of Catholic social teaching. Focus has a mailing list of 4,200 and typically distributes 50,000–75,000 copies to Catholic institutions across the state.
The latest edition of MCC’s Focus publication shares how the Catholic Church in Michigan works to protect children and prevent abuse. In this edition, meet the dedicated professionals working for the Church who oversee safe environment programs for parishes and schools, as well as the victim assistance coordinators who serve abuse survivors and assist them with the resources they need to heal. Read and watch this edition of Focus to learn how the Church is working to heal from the clergy abuse scandal and about the progress that has been made.
Amidst the ongoing news of mass shootings and gun deaths across the country, the latest edition of Focus explores the issue of gun violence and offers a Catholic response as public policymakers continue to propose and enact gun safety legislation, including here in Michigan. The intention behind this Focus is to demonstrate why gun violence is an issue of public concern, inform Catholics about the Church's stances on gun policies, and to invite Catholics to look at gun violence from the perspective of the Church’s social principles.
This edition of FOCUS presents MCC’s latest edition of its Blueprint for the Common Good, which lays out the policies MCC will advocate for during the 2023–2024 legislative session and is comprised of nine advocacy principles that originate from Catholic social teaching and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This fall, Catholics in Michigan are urged to vote no on Proposal 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow unregulated, unlimited abortion in our state. This issue of focus will explain what Proposal 3 would do and why it is dangerous for Michigan. It will empower you to talk with your friends and family about why this amendment must be defeated. This edition will also equip Catholics with the principles rooted in the Church’s rich teachings on social justice that are helpful to making a well-informed vote on the entire general election ballot.
Our latest edition of Focus shows how Catholics in Michigan and beyond are responding to the call to walk with mothers in need and helping them and their children flourish. While there's a misperception that the Catholic Church cares more about unborn babies and not the mothers who carry them, the reality is that the Church has a heart for both the mother and the baby, and that has transformed into action. From the U.S. bishops’ conference down to the parish level, to Catholic Charities, the Knights of Columbus, and more, the Church is continually reaching out to mothers in difficult situations.
The Advocacy Reports are published at the conclusion of each two-year legislative session and summarize MCC’s public policy and communication advocacy work across the nine advocacy principles that guide MCC’s involvement in legislative issues.
Over the course of the 2019–2020 state legislative session, Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) worked diligently with lawmakers and legislative staff of both political parties to advance the common good. In a February report, MCC details its advocacy work from the past two years and highlights critical legislative achievements for Michiganders, especially those that recognize the dignity of the human person and address the needs of the vulnerable.