Upon learning of the death of former Congressman Dale Kildee, 92, MCC offered a reflection on the person and character traits that made Mr. Kildee among the most respectable and well-appreciated elected officials in the State of Michigan. A lifelong Catholic, Mr. Kildee fought from Lansing and Washington, D.C. for the equitable treatment of non-public schools, defended and promoted the dignity of all human life, and spoke eloquently of the responsibility to care for the poor among us. In 1988, Kildee composed a monograph titled Government as a Force for Good, one in a series of six publications that recognized the 25th Anniversary of Michigan Catholic Conference. 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: Action Alert! U.S. Senate to Consider Most Radical Pro-Abortion Bill Ever; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Vetoes Pro-Life/Pro-Woman Funding from State Budget; Afghanistan Refugee Resolution Considered in House of Representatives; Senate Committee Unanimously Passes Organ Donation Bill; Sexual Abuse Prevention Bills Clear House Judiciary Committee; Saint Joseph Features Throughout October, Respect Life Month. Read more…

The state of Michigan and its elected officials have a moral obligation to support the authorized admittance of refugees fleeing violence in Afghanistan, according to a Resolution that was discussed in the House Military, Veterans, and Homeland Security Committee today. “Refugees, immigrants, and asylees, together with the current Afghan evacuees, flee their homeland in search of safety and religious freedom, values known worldwide to be present and at the very heart and soul of the United States of America,” MCC stated in a news release. Read more…

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed several funding policies that would protect the life of unborn children, including a relatively mere $700,000 for a policy to provide pregnant mothers in need with a full range of wrap-around services for her and her child before and after birth. The vetoes are part of a final 2022 state budget that otherwise includes provisions Michigan Catholic Conferences finds helpful in the areas of adoption and foster care and support for low-income and vulnerable persons 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: Action Alert! U.S. House to Vote on Most Radical Pro-Abortion Bill Ever; Legislature Passes FY 2022 Budget; House Judiciary Committee Passes Vulnerable Child Abuse Prevention Bills. Read more…

Since its formation in 1963, Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC)—the public policy voice of the Catholic bishops in our state—has actively championed issues that promote the common good of Michiganders and serve the most vulnerable. For nearly sixty years, MCC has lived its mission and built positive relationships with lawmakers, other advocacy groups, and experts. These relationships have helped accomplish policy goals in fidelity to Catholic teaching. Read more…

Michigan Catholic Conference has offered reflections upon learning of the death of United States Senator Carl Levin. “As the longest-serving United States Senator from the Great Lakes state, Senator Levin possessed a keen and widely respected reputation for foreign affairs. May his immense passion for justice be an opportunity for divergent political views to find common ground and a focal point both for those in elected office and our broader society to uphold and promote the dignity of all people.” Read more…

To protect the constitutional religious rights of all citizens of the state, MCC is citing concerns over a ballot proposal that seeks to define religion in the state constitution as only a person’s individual beliefs and would restrict the presence of faith-based charitable aid organizations in the public square. On July 26, the Board of State Canvassers voted 4–0 to deny certification to the petitions brought forward by Fair and Equal Michigan. Read more…

In a 2018 pastoral letter, Open Wide Our Hearts, the U.S. bishops emphasize that racism is a life issue, “directly [placing] brother and sister against each other, violating the dignity inherent in each person.” In response, all Catholics are called to acknowledge the harm of racism, to examine critically their own attitudes about race, and to listen to the experiences of their neighbors (especially those of races different than their own) in order to break down racism. This edition of The Word from Lansing elaborates on the theme of combatting racism and draws attention to those Black and African-American Catholics whose lives of virtue and perseverance are models for modern times. 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: State House Approves Budgets for 2022 Fiscal Year—Nonpublic School Aid Heads to Governor; Bishops Respond on No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act; Pregnancy Tax Exemption Continues to Senate; MCC Calls for Adoption of Woman's Right to Know Act; House Resolution Affirms Right to Life for the Unborn; Elder and Child Abuse Prevention Measures Clear Committee; House Committee Passes "Sanctuary Cities" Ban; Find FAQs About Proposed Document on the Eucharist from USCCB. 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: Catholic Conference Praises Unanimous SCOTUS Fulton Decision; Action Needed! Sign a Petition to Protect the Hyde Amendment; Bills, Resources Celebrate Juneteenth, the Nation's 2nd Independence Day; COVID Aid for Nonpublic Schools Close to Governor's Desk; Bill to Expand Mandatory Reporters in State Supported by MCC; MCC Raises Concerns With Legislation Prohibiting "Sanctuary Cities"; Senate Committee Approves Deadline Extension for Student Assistance; Michigan House Votes in Favor of Organ Donation Bills. Read more…

Since 1976, members of both political parties have supported the Hyde Amendment and other federal policies that have prevented taxpayer dollars from paying for abortions. Recently, President Biden released his annual budget recommendations, which did not propose a renewal of the Hyde Amendment. If passed, this change would allow billions of taxpayer funds to begin contributing towards elective abortions. Throughout the month of June, Michigan Catholics have signed a petition urging Congress to respect the conscience of the American people and to protect mothers and babies. Read more…