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Church to focus on life issues, poor, education, election in 2006
Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published January 6, 2006
Detroit – It's hard to predict what twists the political landscape might take in a given election year, but there are a handful of issues the Michigan Catholic Conference in Lansing expects to be talking over with legislators in 2006.
The conference, which is headed by Cardinal Adam Maida and represents the Church's public policy interests in the state, will be dealing with the following:
- Making sure welfare reform doesn't leave the state's most vulnerable citizens out in the cold.
- Giving pregnant women every opportunity to learn about the perils of abortion – and to keep their children.
- Ensuring staff members, students and parents involved in Catholic schools are respected by state legislation aimed primarily at public schools.
- And conducting surveys for a number of elections, to let voters know where their potential representatives stand on moral issues.
Conference spokesman David Maluchnik says the conference is given a list of concerns by the bishops of Michigan's seven dioceses every other year. They received the last list at the beginning of 2005, but the second year will include a lot of activity.
"When bishops approve a legislative agenda, we follow that for two years," Maluchnik says.
Welfare reform
At the end of 2005, the Church lobbied hard against lifetime limits to state welfare support as legislators tried to pass welfare reform legislation in December. Finally, a veto threat by Gov. Jennifer Granholm prevented legislation from being passed because the legislature wanted to set a four-year limit to welfare reform without making exceptions for those who are unemployable or in difficult economic circumstances.
Maluchnik says welfare reform laws likely will come to the forefront again as early as in the spring. The Michigan Catholic Conference has and always will oppose any lifetime limits to welfare – especially because Michigan has one of the most sluggish economies in the nation, he says.
"Considering our economic numbers aren't as vibrant as other states, and from a regional and national perspective, when state goes to address its budget dilemmas, we have to ensure that those programs that support the poor and vulnerable aren't affected," he says.
The culture of life
In efforts to educate women who are seeking abortions more about their decision, lawmakers in Michigan's House and Senate have approved a bill to require abortionists to offer ultrasound images of their unborn children to the mothers before an abortion is performed.
The bill passed Michigan's House with bipartisan support in 2005, though details of it are still being worked on between the House and Senate. The conference hopes to have it pass the legislature in the same form it passed the House, and have it approved by the governor in order to become law next year. The bill likely will come out of the legislature in January.
Education
The conference is looking for fair treatment between public and nonpublic schools. "We'll be ensuring that Catholic families and schools are treated within the boundaries of proper policy in the state," Maluchnik says.
While large initiatives such as private-school tuition vouchers likely won't be at stake this year, some other important issues will be. For example, the House has passed a bill that would allow teachers to have their state-issued student debts forgiven because of their employment in urban schools. In 2005, the conference lobbied to have Catholic and other nonpublic schools included in the bill's definition of urban schools.
Whether the bill becomes law is to be determined.
Election
Each election year – and statewide elections will be held in November of 2006 – the conference also has those running for political office fill out questionnaires. The surveys are meant to inform voters on how those running for office feel about various moral issues.
The results of the surveys are offered to diocesan newspapers, parish bulletins and on The Michigan Catholic Conference's Web site.
While the Church will not dictate to its members how to vote in an election, the conference does promote Church teachings that come into play during elections.
To learn more about Church public policy in Michigan, visit www.micatholicconference.org.
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