Pending bills in both the House and Senate would make Michigan driver’s licenses and state identification cards available to applicants who do not have proof of U.S. citizenship but can prove their identity and Michigan residency. Without a driver’s license, more than 100,000 Michiganders who lack federal documentation cannot legally drive to buy groceries, drop their kids off at school, or get to work.
MCC is responding with profound disappointment and offense taken to a video the Governor appeared in that appears to mock the posture and gestures of Catholics receiving the Holy Eucharist, and is calling for a return to a level of public respect, civility, and appreciation for those who have found peace and fulfillment in life by worshiping God and serving their neighbor.
MCC said the state budget, which was signed into law today, is a moral statement and one that indicates the priorities state officials are willing to support with public tax dollars. Inspired by Christ’s teaching to care for ‘the least of these,’ MCC believes that taking care of the poor and vulnerable is and should remain among the top public spending priorities, and was encouraged to see that critical programs that provide for pregnant mothers in need, families experiencing homelessness, and foster children were preserved or increased.
Upon the Governor signing the latest education budget into law, MCC issued a statement indicating that state lawmakers could have provided more support to ensure all Michigan students are safe and secure at school and have access to healthy meals, regardless of the schools they attend. Lawmakers in recent years have identified school security upgrades and ensuring all students have access to free meals at school as public priorities, but the new budget fell short of making adequate investment into these areas for all students.
State lawmakers failed to consider the totality of concerns present with paid surrogacy contracts, concerns that include protecting vulnerable women from exploitation and human trafficking, along with how the practice minimizes the dignity of motherhood and childbirth into a sale and delivery mechanism for the gain of others, Michigan Catholic Conference said in response to the signing of bills allowing the practice in Michigan.
Lansing Update publishes on Fridays when the Michigan Legislature is in session and chronicles legislative activity of interest to Michigan Catholic Conference.
The end-of-the-year legislative push intensified as the state House and Senate took up hundreds of bills through multiple marathon sessions held around the clock. See what MCC staff are tracking and working on this week as lawmakers race to get bills through to the next chamber before time runs out.
The first week of the last stretch of session kicked off this week and MCC was involved on a number of fronts, including issuing a press release and video about what it's like to live without a driver's license in Michigan. The testimonial video is connected to MCC's advocacy for driver's licenses for immigrants. Watch the video and see what other legislation MCC is tracking this week.
Catholics advocating for the dignity of immigrants and refugees descended on Lansing this week to continue the push to pass driver’s license legislation. Read about other legislation MCC supports to help foster children and human trafficking victims, as well as the story of the patron saint for hunters as opening day for firearm season begins today.
The 2024 election came and went and most of the results are in. MCC provides a rundown of the most pertinent results for Michigan Catholics. Plus, the lame duck legislative session is just around the corner, and MCC will be working to advance some unfinished policies before session ends. Read about those priorities and more.
MCC closes out its four-part series on the Catholic approach to voting with a final note of encouragement. Plus, find logistical information about how to vote, as well as some reflections on two big dates on the Church’s liturgical calendar in this week’s 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.
As the end of the current legislative session approaches, there remains another opportunity for lawmakers to increase school safety funding for nonpublic schools, and that's where faithful Catholic citizens can help.
Among the Church’s social teachings, there is none more important than protecting human life and dignity, which is highlighted every year in October during Respect Life month. This column focuses on two specific life issues due to their continued presence and discussion in the public square among legislators, candidates, media, and the general public.
Catholic voters are invited to begin their approach to the election by forming their consciences according to the teachings of the Church, which along with praying for insight and acting on this process of formation is at the crux of MCC’s newest edition of Focus, which is now available in print and online.
Beyond public speeches and campaign rhetoric, the state budget represents the priorities and people that state lawmakers are willing to support with the public’s tax dollars. With that in mind, MCC offers commentary on what the latest budget prioritizes, and what it doesn’t.
That each human person is endowed by God with infinite dignity was the subject of a recent Vatican document, and the truth of human dignity also forms the basis of MCC’s public policy work. Read about how upholding human dignity serves as the common link for the Church’s approach to abortion, surrogacy, serving the poor, and caring for the migrant and refugee.
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.
Catholics can be a light to this state and the nation by allowing the truths of the faith to inform their voting decisions. This edition of Focus is intended to help Catholics in Michigan embrace the vocation of a faithful citizen in the 2024 election and beyond by putting on “the mind of Christ” before voting.
The Catholic Church calls for honoring and protecting the dignity of human life at all stages until natural death, which makes assisted suicide a direct contrast to the respect for life. It not only threatens the lives of the sick and dying, but also the lives of other vulnerable people. As efforts to legalize or expand assisted suicide continue to surface both in Michigan and elsewhere, this edition of Focus addresses why assisted suicide should be opposed and shows what true compassion for the suffering and dying looks like.
The latest edition of MCC’s Focus publication shares how the Catholic Church in Michigan works to protect children and prevent abuse. In this edition, meet the dedicated professionals working for the Church who oversee safe environment programs for parishes and schools, as well as the victim assistance coordinators who serve abuse survivors and assist them with the resources they need to heal. Read and watch this edition of Focus to learn how the Church is working to heal from the clergy abuse scandal and about the progress that has been made.
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.
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.
