Nearly fifty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court, in a controversial decision, established a constitutional right to abortion. But now, the nation’s highest court has been asked to reconsider the decision it made in the 1973 case known as Roe v. Wade. MCC’s Word from Lansing column takes a look at how a successful outcome in Dobbs, potentially coming in June 2022, could prohibit abortion in Michigan. 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: Take Action Now to Oppose Abortion Funding in Federal Government Spending; Governor Vetoes Student Opportunity Scholarship Bills; House Adoption and Foster Care Bipartisan Taskforce Release Report; MCC Supports Productivity Credits for Incarcerated Individuals; House Passes Legislation to Ensure Accuracy of Background Checks; Bipartisan Sexual Abuse Prevention Package Passes House; Nation Observes Veterans Day; Legislature on Break until November 30. Read more…

Michigan Catholic Conference is responding to Governor Whitmer’s veto of Education Savings Account legislation by encouraging the Governor and lawmakers to help students whose academics have been impacted by the Covid pandemic. MCC had offered its support for the ESA bills due to their ability to assist families enrolled in both public and nonpublic schools with education-related costs. 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: House and Senate Send Student Opportunity Scholarship Bills to the Governor; MCC Opposes Elimination of Gun Free Zones for Schools and Churches; MCC Supports Community Solar Energy Legislation; MCC Supports School Drinking Water Safety Bills; House Passes Vulnerable Child Abuse Prevention Bills; Bill to Expand Mandatory Reporters of Suspected Abuse Passes House Judiciary Committee; Mark the Calendar: November 18 "Pray for Dobbs" Nationwide Prayer Event; Respect Life Resources Available Throughout the Year. Read more…

Michigan Catholic Conference is urging Governor Gretchen Whitmer to sign into law legislation that would assist parents and students by allowing for the creation of Educational Savings Accounts. According to legislation that has passed both the Senate and House of Representatives, each student in Michigan would have access to financial resources for use toward qualified expenses in either a public or nonpublic school setting. The bill package allocates up to $500 million from the state’s General Fund, rather than the resources coming from the state School Aid Budget. 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: House and Senate Pass Student Opportunity Scholarship Bills; Pregnancy Tax Exemption Passes Senate Committee; Additional Sexual Abuse Prevention Measures Advance from House Committee; House Committee Considers Legislation to Ensure Accuracy of Background Checks; Senate Adopts Religious Liberty Resolution; Biden Administration Rescinds "Protect Life Rule" in Family Planning Program; November 18 "Pray for Dobbs" Nationwide Prayer Event. Read more…

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…