Legislative Agenda

MCC’s 2010 Legislative Objectives

The Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) advocates on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Minnesota for policies and programs that support the life and dignity of every human person from conception through natural death. We believe that every human being is created in God’s image and, without exception, possesses dignity and value. Our public policy positions are rooted in Catholic social teaching and serve to: uphold the sanctity of life; lift up the poor and vulnerable; and help build the common good.

Click for a printable version of our 2010 Legislative Agenda.

LEGISLATIVE OBJECTIVES 2010

The following legislative objectives are a continuation of the Minnesota Catholic Conference’s (MCC) legislative objectives from the first year of the biennium.

Abortion and Life

  • Build a culture of life by cultivating support for pro-life positions on abortion, artificial reproduction, cloning, the death penalty, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research.
  • Support efforts to reverse the Minnesota Supreme Court decision, Doe v. Gomez, that requires public funding of abortion for low-income women and establishes an absolute “right” to abortion in Minnesota.
  • Increase access to, and funding for, programs that provide needed support services to pregnant women and their families.

Childhood Education

  • Protect the rights of private school students, parents and educators to access special education services and benefits.
  • Provide state funding for children to participate in early childhood learning and school preparedness programs in private schools.

Criminal Justice

  • Limit the impact of a parent’s incarceration on children and families.
  • Improve access to credit, education and training, employment and housing for individuals who have completed their sentence.

Economic Justice

  • Improve options for low-income workers by expanding training and employment opportunities, while addressing child care and transportation needs.
  • Increase employment and training opportunities for unemployed Minnesota workers.

Ending Poverty

  • Ensure that Minnesotans have access to public supports that help individuals maintain employment and meet their families’ basic needs.
  • Implement the recommendations of the Legislative Commission to End Poverty in Minnesota by 2020.

Energy and the Environment

  • Pursue alternative sources of energy: wind, solar, electric and bio-fuels from non-food sources.
  • Encourage responsible stewardship of our natural resources by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste.

Food and Agriculture

  • Secure a healthful food supply for all Minnesotans.
  • Support family farms while preserving Minnesota’s soil, water and wildlife.

Health Care

  • Ensure health care access for all Minnesotans.

Housing

  • Create affordable housing options for all Minnesotans.
  • Equip the homes of low-income individuals and families with renewable and sustainable energy sources, thereby reducing utility costs.

Immigration

  • Provide newcomers access to education and essential public supports.

Marriage

  • Strengthen and stabilize families by ensuring that health insurance covers marriage and family counseling.
  • Oppose efforts to grant same-sex unions the legal equivalent of marriage.

Parental Choice in Education

  • Preserve and expand parental choice in education to include education tax credits for contributions to education foundations.
  • Sustain full state funding of existing parental choice benefits for students attending private schools, such as student transportation, textbook allocations, health services and guidance and counseling.
  • Support abstinence education and oppose family life and sexuality education programs that promote practices contrary to Church teachings.