The Catholic Conference is calling on the consciences of members of the House and Senate to oppose appalling legislation passed by the House Health Policy Committee this morning that overturns widely-supported limitations on abortion and policies that require accountability and transparency over Michigan abortion facilities.
In responding to Gov. Whitmer’s fall policy speech today, MCC committed to opposing the abortion lobby’s interest in overturning long-standing and widely-supported limits on abortion while also offering support for a fair and just paid family leave policy in Michigan.
Two bills recently approved by the Michigan Legislature that restrict speech in counselor-patient settings should be rejected by Gov. Whitmer on the grounds that the language is too broad and goes well beyond its intended purpose of protecting children from abhorrent practices, MCC said in a statement.
MCC commended lawmakers from both parties and chambers for providing broad support for legislation signed into law by Governor Whitmer that will prevent sexual abuse of children and others, as MCC has been advocating for this legislation since 2018 in keeping with the Catholic Church’s commitment to prevent abuse.
For the first time, Focus — Michigan Catholic Conference’s quarterly publication that examines public policy issues through the lens of Catholic social teaching — is addressing the topic of gun violence with the hope of provoking thoughtful reflection for readers mindful of differing perspectives about guns and gun regulation.
Lansing Update publishes on Fridays when the Michigan Legislature is in session and chronicles legislative activity of interest to Michigan Catholic Conference.
While the dangerous Reproductive Health Act moved out of committee to the House floor this week, signs of hope emerged in MCC and its pro-life partners’ efforts to defeat it. Also this week, MCC and the nonpublic school association provided strong advocacy before the Legislature to include nonpublic schools in expanded school meal programs. Read about these issues and more in this week’s Lansing Update.
As lawmakers took testimony for the first time on the dangerous Reproductive Health Act, MCC and other statewide organizations formed a coalition and spoke out in opposition against the bills, which would deregulate abortion in Michigan. Learn more about how you can get involved and tell lawmakers to protect the health and safety of vulnerable women and children across the state by reading this week’s Lansing Update.
As expected, abortion advocates in the Legislature have introduced legislation that would repeal health and safety standards for abortion clinics, which poses a threat to the health and safety of women. In other news, there’s a new, quicker way to stay connected to MCC and the Catholic Advocacy Network. Read more in this Lansing Update.
The Catholic Conference’s response to Gov. Whitmer’s fall policy speech included opposition to her call to overturn abortion limitations that protect women, and support for paid family leave that makes it easier to raise children. Also, ahead of Labor Day, read the U.S. bishops’ suggestions for how Congress should stand in “radical solidarity” with working families. Read more in this week’s Lansing Update.
When it comes to grassroots advocacy on public policy issues, there’s power in numbers. Help lift your voice and the collective voice of Catholic grassroots by inviting your friends and family to join our email list. Plus, a new federal regulation is attempting to insert abortion into a law intended to help pregnant workers. Read more in this 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.
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.
In this column, MCC describes the recent trend of lawmakers acting to expand abortion in Michigan after Proposal 3, and urges them to take a different course and find ways to prevent abortion from happening.
Despite the uphill battle it entailed, MCC staff earlier this year deployed essentially every tool in the advocacy toolbox to fight for the rights of schools, charities, and organizations who wish to serve others in the public square according to the teachings of their faith. Read more about our advocacy efforts for putting religious protections in the state civil rights law in The Word from Lansing.
MCC so far this legislative session has supported policies that have won bipartisan support, just Democratic support, or just Republican support—sometimes all in the same day. It is a reflection of how MCC’s advocacy is guided by principles grounded in Catholic social doctrine and aimed at promoting the common good.
With the release of the biennial Blueprint for the Common Good, Michigan Catholic Conference shares how public policymaking—which should be directed toward advancing the common good—must be evaluated by how it advances or diminishes the life of the individual person.
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.
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.
African-American Catholics have contributed substantially to the shaping of communities across the country. Currently there are six African-Americans in the early stages of examination for sainthood. Their life stories and witness to the Gospel demonstrate the importance of generosity, faith, and perseverance in the midst of challenges and at times, experiences of racism. FOCUS highlights potential and current saints of African descent, and shares Catholic teaching that encourages all believers to speak out against racism.
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.
