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.
While the approval of Proposal 3 presents a major challenge to securing the legal protection of the unborn in Michigan, it does not have to inhibit the Church’s mission to make abortion unthinkable by working to support mothers and families facing difficult pregnancies. In this Word from Lansing column, we lay out why this approach can achieve the goals sought by the pro-life movement to protect the unborn and uphold the dignity of all human life.
Proposal 3 has been framed as just ensuring abortion is legal like it was before Roe was struck down. But voters need to know that it is not simply making sure abortion is legal in a post-Roe Michigan. In this Word From Lansing, we explain how the proposal goes much further and allows abortion for any woman or girl at any point in the pregnancy for any reason — and then some.
Pregnancy centers, which are dedicated to helping women and their unborn and born children, have been attacked, disparaged and denied state funding. Yet they are doing the work to support a culture of life and to prevent the tragedy of abortion, and they deserve our help.
In the wake of several mass shootings, we join with the U.S. bishops in urging lawmakers to address gun access and gun regulations in addition to other measures intended to curb gun violence, such as school safety measures and mental health improvements.
On the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, and after a similar tragedy that recently played out in Grand Rapids that resulted in the death of another African-American man in a police encounter, we encourage the Legislature to take up a series of law enforcement reforms aimed at trying to address these issues.
The U.S. Supreme Court could rule to overturn Roe v. Wade. Or it might not. That was true before, and after, a draft decision in the current Dobbs case before the court recently broke out into the public. But what we know — and have known — is regardless of what happens next, the mission to ensure legal protection of the unborn and to build up a culture of support for mothers and children remains unfinished.
Amidst the uncertainty in the ongoing COVID landscape, parents are assessing all options and seeking choices they feel best furthers their kids’ learning. With that in mind, a campaign has launched to put more money directly in the hands of parents to pay for the education expenses their kids need, regardless of the type of school they attend, whether it’s public, private or home school.
Our Catholic faith is a both/and faith. Catholics believe it is essential to both oppose the tragedy of abortion and support mothers both before and after they give birth. To illustrate, we sought to explore in-depth the various ways Catholics walk with mothers in need in Michigan.
A settlement reached in a state lawsuit filed against the St. Vincent Catholic Charities was an important win for religious liberty and also for the most vulnerable children in the State of Michigan, upholding the constitutional right to religious liberty that is a cornerstone of our state and nation.
MCC is urges support to expand a tax credit for working families that would alleviate poverty and help get people back to work. It's the best anti-poverty, best pro-family, and best job creation measure this Legislature could pass.
