Lansing Update: October 22, 2010

In this week’s Lansing Update

1. MCC Continues to Make 2010 Election Information Available

MCC Continues to Make 2010 Election Information Available

While members of the House of Representatives and State Senate are on recess to campaign for the November 2 election, Michigan Catholic Conference is reminding Catholics across the state of election information that has been made available to them.

In June 2010 the seven arch/diocesan bishops of Michigan released a statement titled A Call to Conscience: Faithful Citizenship and the Common Good. The document is intended to help Catholics form their consciences based on the social teachings of the Church and to evaluate candidates through the lens of faith. The two-page document is available in both English and Spanish language versions and can be downloaded and printed for easy insertion in bulletins or any other means of distribution.

Also released this June by the Conference is a handbook titled Election and Political Activities Guide: A Handbook for the 2010 Elections. This publication provides guidelines on electoral politics for pastors and parishes, a discussion of Faithful Citizenship and conscience formation, public policy issues of concern to the Church, and information on the Catholic Legislative Advocacy Network, the Conference’s web-based grassroots advocacy tool. This booklet can be downloaded, or ordered from the Conference in mass quantities at no cost to the parish.

A third educational tool for the 2010 elections made available by the Conference pertains to Proposal 1, a ballot question voters will see at the November 2 ballot which asks if a constitutional convention should be held in 2011. Through the MCC’s FOCUS publication, the Conference articulates why this is not the time to conduct a constitutional convention in Michigan. Copies of FOCUS, like the Election and Political Activities Guide, can be ordered in mass quantities at no cost to the parish.

While Church organizations and institutions are encouraged to educate Catholics on legislative matters and ballot proposal issues, the Church neither supports nor opposes partisan candidates or parties. More information about Faithful Citizenship, Michigan Elections and Proposal 1 can be found on the MCC homepage at www.micatholic.org

Remember, vote on November 2, and if your parish has yet to distribute the information mentioned above, kindly ask your pastor if it would be permissible to do as such before the election. The MCC Public Policy division may be contacted at (517) 372-9310.

Lansing Update will continue to publish on legislative matters when the Legislature returns after the election.