Lansing Update: March 20, 2015

1. MCC Applauds Passage of Faith-Based Adoption Bills
2. “Choose Life” License Plates Continue to House Committee After Senate Approval
3. Watch the Telephone Town Hall on School Choice

MCC Applauds Passage of Faith-Based Adoption Bills

Michigan Catholic Conference strongly applauded legislation this week which passed the House of Representatives that will protect the religious liberty rights of faith-based adoption and foster care agencies. The measures, House Bills 4188-4190, have been a priority for MCC staff for several years. The legislation will make great strides toward preserving the right of religious child placement agencies to provide their services to the general public in accordance with their faith tradition. These agencies, such as Catholic Charities, have been working with the state for over 50 years to find loving homes for vulnerable children. These agencies play a strong role in their communities and offer additional services such as refugee resettlement, assistance to homeless and hungry persons, counseling for families and individuals, and other invaluable social services. MCC issued the following statement after House Bills 4188-4190 passed with bipartisan support by a 65-44 vote:

“We are grateful to the House for passing this legislation and now encourage the Senate to address these important measures soon. Securing diversity in child placement and protecting religious liberty rights for faith-based agencies will move children out of the foster care system. Without this legislation there will likely be fewer providers, which means fewer opportunities to find homes for kids that need them. For the sake of vulnerable children, let’s maintain the strong partnership the State has secured over the past five decades and respect the right of agencies to act according to their religious mission, as they always have.”

Thank you for the hundreds of messages that have been sent to lawmakers supporting diversity and religious liberty in Michigan child placement services—your voices were heard! The bills now await further action in the Senate Families, Seniors, and Human Services Committee. Stay tuned for future updates and alerts as your voice will be tremendously helpful toward supporting the bills as they move through the legislative process.

“Choose Life” License Plates Continue to House Committee After Senate Approval

After passage this week from the State Senate, a bill creating Michigan “Choose Life” fundraising license plates will now be sent over to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for further consideration. Money collected during the sale of the plates would be deposited into a “Choose Life” Fund, which then could be distributed to organizations that promote alternatives to abortion. Senate Bill 84 passed the Senate by a 26-11 vote.

Watch the Telephone Town Hall on School Choice

For any who missed this week’s telephone town hall on school choice, you can now watch a recording of the event online. Michigan Catholic Conference sponsored the event, along with the Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools (an organization of which most Catholic schools in Michigan are a member), the Mackinac Center, and the American Enterprise Institute.

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