Lansing Update: Help Grow Our Grassroots Coalition
Posted August 11, 2023
In this update:
- Grow Our Grassroots and Invite Your Contacts to the Catholic Advocacy Network
- Federal Regulation Includes Abortion in Law Meant to Assist Pregnant Workers
Grow Our Grassroots and Invite Your Contacts to the Catholic Advocacy Network
As a member of the Catholic Advocacy Network, you are part of a grassroots coalition of more than 11,000 people who help us advocate for the Catholic perspective on public policy at the state Capitol.
However, we know there’s more than 11,000 Catholics in this state. That’s why we need your help in our efforts to grow the Catholic Advocacy Network and expand our collective voice on issues of importance to the Church.
There’s probably someone in your life who is not on our email list — a parent, a sibling, a friend, a work colleague, a parishioner. We invite you to forward one of our recent emails — or write a new one — to people in your circles with the following message included (or something similar, feel free to personalize it the way you’d like):
I would like to invite you to join the Catholic Advocacy Network, a free service run by the Michigan Catholic Conference to inform Catholics about public policy issues of interest to the Church and help Catholics speak out on important issues, such as protecting human life, religious liberty, and education choice, among others. Click or tap this link to sign up to receive updates and invites to advocate on important issues to our faith: https://www.votervoice.net/micatholic/Register
Thanks in advance for helping us grow the impact of the Catholic Advocacy Network.
Federal Regulation Includes Abortion in Law Meant to Assist Pregnant Workers
A federal regulation proposes to include accommodations for obtaining an abortion in a law that was intended to assist pregnant women obtain fair working conditions.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) had advocated for the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act because its purpose was “to help make it possible for working mothers to remain gainfully employed, if desired, while protecting their health and that of their preborn children,” said Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington, chair of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities.
However a federal agency known as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released proposed rules intended to govern the implementation of the law and included “having or choosing not to have an abortion” among the “related medical conditions” to pregnancy covered by the law, according to coverage by OSV News and republished by Detroit Catholic.
The USCCB pushed back against the proposed rule in a statement from Bishop Burbridge, who said, “It is a total distortion to use this law as a means for advancing abortion, and the complete opposite of needed assistance for pregnant mothers.”
This is not the first time that policymakers have sought to conflate abortion with childbirth when it comes to the privileges afforded to pregnant women.
Earlier this year, MCC advocated against a Michigan bill that was unfortunately signed into law that sought to equate abortion with childbirth when it comes to the employee-provided benefits. The language of the bill suggested that if certain employers provide benefits related to pregnancy and childbirth, they would be required to provide similar benefits to someone who had an abortion.
According to OSV News, the proposed federal regulation regarding the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act will be available for public comment for 60 days starting today. We can keep you apprised of any upcoming action alerts from USCCB to coordinate submission of public comments on the matter, or you can submit public comments yourself here.