Michigan Catholic Conference released the following statement after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 5–4 in Espinoza v. Montana. The Court found unconstitutional that state’s policy to prohibit religious schools from equal access to a public education benefit. The full impact of the ruling on the State of Michigan and Article 8 Section 2 of the state constitution — Michigan’s “Blaine Amendment” — will require additional review and study.
Michigan Catholic Conference is honored to have received from the Central Michigan Public Relations Society of Michigan (CMPRSA) three awards that recognize the organization’s efforts to communicate its public policy work. The awards include a first-place Pinnacle Award for an annual legislative report and two second-place Excellence Awards, one for an op/ed column and one for MCC’s FOCUS publication. Award winners were announced the evening of June 23, 2020 at an online ceremony.
Art Miller served the citizens of Macomb County in the Michigan Senate for over 25 years. Senator Miller, who was also a three-term Warren city councilman, was elected by his colleagues to be the Senate Democratic Leader on five occasions, beginning in 1985. A practicing Catholic, Senator Miller was a widely effective bipartisan legislator whose personality and kindness won over friends and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. “He was a wonderful and faithful man,” reflected MCC President and CEO Paul A. Long.
Upon hearing of the death of Bishop James A. Murray, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Kalamazoo, Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) wishes to extend to Most Reverend Paul Bradley, Bishop of the Diocese of Kalamazoo and the faithful of the Kalamazoo Diocese heartfelt condolences and prayers for the soul of Bishop Murray.
Throughout the month of May, Catholics across the world have recognized the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’s second encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home, issued from Rome in May of 2015. Michigan Catholic Conference has joined these efforts by developing and distributing materials for Catholic institutions and various secular bodies, including its venerable FOCUS publication along with numerous web-based resources. MCC’s efforts accompany recent public initiatives from the Catholic Church to widen the impact of the pope’s teaching, including Laudato Si’ Week and the Day of Common Prayer for Creation, which took place May 24.
On April 16th Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was asked by a podcast host about her to decision to allow abortion facilities to remain open during the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” Executive Order. In response, Whitmer stated that abortion is “life sustaining.” MCC responded to the governor’s comments by stating that her understanding of life issues has become “bifurcated and confusing,” and is asking for the governor to pause and reflect on “the wounds her comments have created for countless people in this state and elsewhere.”
In a joint presentation to lawmakers, Governor Gretchen Whitmer presented her executive recommendations for the upcoming 2020–21 state budget. While MCC appreciates the governor’s inclusion of funding that fights opioid abuse and addiction, supports elder care and foster care, and maintains the state’s shared time program, concerns remain about the governor’s disregard of nonpublic schools. Additionally, MCC applauded the proposal’s efforts to support vulnerable women during and after pregnancy but also called for further clarification about the plan’s intent regarding “reproductive health care.”
