Members of the Michigan House of Representatives recently introduced eighteen bills to protect children and others from abuse. Over the next several weeks, these and other bipartisan measures will go before the House Law and Justice Committee for further consideration from lawmakers. To combat the appalling presence of sexual abuse in society, Michigan Catholic Conference will support legislation in the committee that protects children and creates safe environments. Read more…

The Central Michigan Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (CMPRSA) presented Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) with four awards during the 2018 PACE Awards on Thursday evening, April 12. This year’s celebration, held at The Cadillac Room in Lansing’s REO Town, recognized mid-Michigan’s best public relations and communications tactics and campaigns produced during 2017. Michigan Catholic Conference received CMPRSA’s highest honor for excellence in public relations, the Pinnacle Award, in three categories: annual reports, newsletters, and video programs. Staff also received an Excellence Award in the websites category. Read more…

Rates of serious diseases, such as polio and measles, have significantly decreased in the United States over time, in part due to medical advances such as vaccinations. Parents and health professionals benefit from open discussions about these preventative tools, the risks of serious diseases, and the possibility of any risk that may occur after an immunization. In The Word from Lansing for April, Michigan Catholic Conference and encourage individuals and families to learn more about vaccinations, their impact on individuals and communities, and Catholic teaching regarding their use. 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 Continues to Support Safe Environments While Opposing Retroactive Measures; In 104–2 Vote, House Approves Hospice Fix Regarding Opioids; Stillborn Tax Exemption Legislation Receives Consideration; MCC Expresses Concerns with State ID and Driver's License Bills; Federal STOP School Violence Act Clears U.S. House of Representatives with Wide Support; Pope Francis Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary of Election to Papacy. Read more…

On March 14, 2018 the Michigan Senate approved a package of bills intended to, in part, address child sexual abuse in society. Several of the bills are supported by Michigan Catholic Conference, including legislation that would prospectively expand the criminal statute of limitations, expand the pool of mandatory reporters, enhance penalties against repeat abusers, and lengthen the sentences for those who deal in the heinous practice of child pornography. The Senate also passed legislation, Senate Bill 872, that would retroactively reopen the civil statute of limitations for public and private institutions in Michigan, a highly controversial measure opposed by nearly every sector of society in the state. 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: Save-the-Date! Monday, March 12 is National Call-in Day for the Conscience Protection Act; Foster Families Speak Out Against ACLU Case; Nonpublic School Principals Meet with Legislators for MANS Public Policy Day; Medical Marijuana Warning Label for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers Continues Forward; Bills Protect Victims from Attending School with Their Attackers, Continue to Senate Committee; Court Action Temporarily Extends Some DACA Protections; USCCB Urges Concrete Actions to Address Scourge of Gun Violence. Read more…

Faith-based agencies like St. Vincent Catholic Charities serve Michigan's most vulnerable children with love and provide needed support to foster and adoptive families. Unfortunately in 2017, the ACLU sued the State of Michigan to shut down its partnerships with faith-based foster and adoption agencies, putting at risk thousands of children who desperately need homes. In a video from Becket Law, children and families share what is at stake in this case. Read more…

Medical advances such as vaccinations have reduced the rates of many serious diseases in the United States. March’s FOCUS, Vaccinations and the Common Good, highlights Church teaching about vaccinations; examines the impact of vaccines on individuals, schools, and communities across the state; and promotes educated decisions about their use. 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: Bill Expanding Definition of Coercion in Human Trafficking Law Clears State House; Senate Approves Pro-Marriage Policy With Wide Bipartisan Support; Shared Time Advocates Testify in House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees; MCC Supports Measures to Prevent Abuse and Hold Offenders Accountable. 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: Monday, February 26 is a National Call-in Day for Dreamers; Pro-Marriage Policy, Supported by MCC, Passes Senate Committee; Changes to Do-Not-Resuscitate Law Continue to Michigan Senate. Read more…

For those receiving assistance through the Family Independence Program (FIP), Michigan law can disincentivize marriage, causing some to delay or forego it to retain assistance for their children. The Word from Lansing for February outlines the importance of marriage as an anti-poverty tool. The column also provides information on recently introduced legislation in Lansing that encourages family stability and promotes marriage. 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: Sentencing Bill Includes Embryos and Fetuses as Victims, Continues to Full Senate; Taxation Prohibition on Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Passes House Committee; Bill to Expand Coercion Definition in Human Trafficking Statute Moves on to House; Weatherization Funds Bill Clears Senate Committee; USCCB: Federal Budget Should Build Toward Common Good. Read more…