News Release: Michigan Catholic Conference Releases 2003–2004 Legislative Priorities

LANSING—The Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC), the public policy voice for the Catholic Church in this state, today released their legislative priorities for the 92nd Legislature. The MCC Board of Directors adopted the priorities at their quarterly meeting on March 12, 2003.

“We are pleased to release this list of priorities that flow from the basic belief in the inherent dignity of each person and in society’s responsibility to ensure that dignity, the Catholic Church’s teachings and traditions as they apply to today’s political environment, and the fundamental principle of justice for all people,” said MCC Vice President for Public Policy Paul A. Long.

“The Catholic community is first and foremost interested in the common good and the role government plays in creating a culture that respects and cherishes life and the dignity of every human person,” said Long. “This document provides a philosophical foundation for our involvement on specific legislation.”

Published in the March issue of FOCUS, the periodic MCC publication, the legislative priorities target the issues of religious freedom; human life; education; health care; families, children and social justice; and fiscal and regulatory policy.

“Specifically, legislation that would raise the cap on charter schools, ban research on aborted children, reform the small group health insurance market, provide an increase in unemployment compensation for those not given a raise last year, enact a state earned income tax credit, and enact a state religious freedom protection act are issues of great importance to us,” said Long.

“We are most pleased that discussion on some of these issues is already underway and that the House of Representatives has already passed the bill raising the cap on charter schools. We look forward to working with the legislature and the new administration on all of our issues,” Long concluded.

Michigan Catholic Conference is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.

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