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 MCC
Addresses Key
Legislative
Issues in Weekly Columns
The Minnesota Catholic Conference publishes a weekly
column during the Legislative Session addressing issues
which staff members are actively pursuing at the
legislature. They range from life to education to social
justice issues. All columns are released to diocesan
newspapers for publication. The column, entitled
Faith in the Public Arena, is an excellent way to
acquaint yourself with key legislative topics that
impact all Minnesotans, through the lens of Catholic
Social Teaching.This year's columns can be accessed
by clicking on the link below.
The most recent Faith in the Public Arena
column can be viewed by clicking on the link below.
USCCB
Announces New "Faithful Citizenship" Website
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has
created a new website to help disseminate the new
document "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship."
"Forming Consciences" is an in-depth guide to help
Catholics understand all of the issues at stake when
electing government officials. The website includes
pages for catechists and teachers to help teach the
material to students, as well as pages for parishes,
families, and young adults. Click on the link below to
discover this wonderful new resource!
There is also a webpage dedicated to youth. You can
click on the "Youth" tab once you are on the Faithful
Citizenship website or go straight to the page by
clicking on the link below.
If you would like to print a bulletin insert version of
Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, you
can click on the link below. If you would like to order
them, go to the Faithful Citizenship website.
MCC
Opposes Embryonic Stem Cell Research Bill
Minnesota Senate S.F. 100 uses language that
specifically will utilize taxpayer dollars to fund
embryonic stem cell research at the University of
Minnesota. This research will destroy live human
embryos, thus ending an innocent life. MCC Executive
Director Chris Leifeld has written to the legislative
committee to oppose this bill. Click on the link to
read his letter.
To see how this bill is progressing, you can click on
the following link to go to the Minnesota Legislature's
website to read the latest update.
MCC
Supports Increase in Minimum
Wage
Minnesota’s current minimum wage is not a living wage.
The current state minimum wage for large employers
(enterprises with annual receipts of $625,000 or more)
is $6.15. The current state minimum wage for small
employers (enterprises with annual receipts of less that
$625,000) is $5.25. The current federal minimum wage is
$5.85 (note: if an employee is subject to both the state
and federal minimum wage laws, the employee is entitled
to the higher minimum rate). However, on July 24, 2008,
the federal minimum wage will increase to $6.55, thereby
exceeding Minnesota’s minimum wage. Effective July 24,
2009, the federal minimum wage will increase for the
third and final time to $7.25. Presently, 32 states have
minimum wages higher than the federal minimum wage and 3
states have minimum wages lower than the federal minimum
wage. If Minnesota fails to pass legislation this
session increasing the minimum wage, it will be included
among those few states with minimum wages lower than the
federal rate.
The MCC supports House File
456 and Senate File 875 which increase the minimum wage
from $6.15 to $7.90 for large employers and from
$5.25 to $6.75 for small employers. an At
our current minimum wage, hard-working Minnesotans are
earning poverty-level incomes – incomes that are
insufficient to provide themselves and their families
with basic necessities.
Archbishop Harry Flynn testified
in support of a higher minimum wage in Minnesota
on this bill on Valentine's Day, Thursday, February 14,
2008. You can read Archbishop Flynn's
testimony below.
MCC
Legislative Agenda 2008
You can now view our 2008 Legislative Agenda! You will
need
Adobe® Acrobat Reader®
to be able to view this document.
If you do not have Adobe® Acrobat Reader®,
you can download this
free program by following the link below.
Freedom
of Religion Upheld in Minnesota Court of Appeals
The MN State Court of Appeals ruled that churches may
choose their own wording when posting signs banning
firearms on the premises. Previously, state-mandated
language reading “[organization name] bans guns on these
premises” was required in order to ban firearms. A suit
brought by Edina Community Lutheran Church argued that
entrances to Lutheran churches are for “important
religious messages that can be traced to Martin Luther’s
act of nailing the 95 Theses to the door of the Castle
Church in Wittenberg, Germany.” On Tuesday, February 5,
2008 the court ruled unanimously in favor of Edina
Community Lutheran because of that argument and the fact
that the MN law presented an unconstitutional
infringement on religious freedom. Churches must still
post signs, but now they can choose whatever wording
they see fit.
MCC
Welcomes Alexandra Fitzsimmons as New Policy Director /
Communications
The MCC is happy to introduce to you Alexandra
Fitzsimmons, our new MCC Policy Director /
Communications. In this role, she will serve the MCC in
part, as Social Concerns Director.
I n
anticipation of the 2008 legislative session, Alex is
eagerly familiarizing herself with social concerns policy
issues. Alex comes to the MCC after more than four years
representing Minnesota consumers in automobile fraud, debt
collection harassment, repossession, and foreclosure cases.
While a student at William Mitchell College of Law, she
clerked with Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services’
housing unit and taught Street Law to at-risk youth through
the Minnesota Justice Foundation. As a Public Interest Law
Fellow with Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota, Alex
researched state children’s health insurance policies and
programs throughout the United States. In addition to policy
issues, she will also be working in the area of
Communications. Alex is a graduate of the College of St.
Catherine and a member of the Cathedral of St. Paul parish.
She can be reached at (651) 227-8777 ext. 206 or at
afitzsimmons@mncc.org.
2008
Legislative Session Reconvenes
The
Minnesota Legislature returned for the
second year of tile 85th session at noon, Feb. 12.
According to the State Constitution, the Legislature is
allowed 120 days over the biennium in which to get its
work completed. Last year, it took 75 legislative days,
leaving 45 days for this year's work. Legislators must
complete their work by the first Monday after the third
Saturday in May, or May 19.
Traditionally, the second year of the biennium is
commonly known as the "bonding year," and is reserved
for consideration of investment in capital projects.
Local units of government, higher education systems and
state agencies have submitted proposals totaling more
than $3 billion. However, to stay within debt service guidelines, the
general obligation bonding cap is likely to be around
$965 million, an amount the governor has proposed. Once
the February Economic Forecast is released, the bonding
number could be adjusted.
House
Spealter Margaret Anderson Kelliher @FL-Mpls) and House
Majority Leader Tony Sertich (DFL-Chisholm) have
announced committee deadlines in the House. They are:
*
March 14- committees act favorably on bills in
the house of origin;
*
March 19 -committees act favorably on bills or
companions that met the first deadline in the other
body; and
*March 28 -committees act favorably on major
appropriation and finance bills.
Committees are to meet as scheduled in the afternoon of
the first day of session. However, no committee meetings
will be held before 3
p.m. Feb. 13
due to Gov. Tim Pawlenty's State of the State
Address in St. Cloud.
An
Easter Break is tentatively scheduled from
5 p.m. March 19 to
noon March 25.
Information about the legislative process and the
Minnesota House of Representatives can be accessed
through the House Web site at www.house.mn.
The Minnesota State Legislature
Through the Minnesota State Legislature's website, you
can search for bills, contact your legislators, access
reports issued by House Research and Secretary of the
Senate Information Office, and find schedules for
upcoming committee hearings and floor sessions.
Minnesota Catholic Conference Catholic Advocacy
Network - MNCAN
The Minnesota Catholic Conference is providing an
advocacy tool to help individuals act on public policy
matters that impact the common good. The Minnesota
Catholic Advocacy Network, or
MNCAN for short, provides access to information and
an easy way to communicate with lawmakers. Follow
the link below to learn more.
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