Life, poverty, health care among legislative issues of MN Catholic Conference

Editor’s note: Periodically throughout the 2007 state legislative session, the Minnesota Catholic Conference (the voice of all the Minnesota Catholic bishops) will provide updates and advice for Catholic voters. The conference advises the bishops on legislative issues and lobbies on issues that benefit the common good.

In response to the needs facing people across the state of Minnesota and in the hope of contributing to the common good, MN Catholic Conference (MCC) staff will focus on the following issues this legislative session.

Life - The MCC supports policies that promote life from conception to natural death. The MCC opposes embryonic stem cell research but supports public policies that advance adult stem cell research and treatment and umbilical cord blood

banking.

Health Care Access and Children's Health Care Coverage - The MCC promotes efforts to address the lack of health care coverage for thousands of Minnesotans across the state. We support efforts to connect the uninsured to state programs like MinnesotaCare or find adequate coverage through other providers. We feel that a priority should be placed on ensuring that all Minnesota children have health coverage. We also promote sustained state support for safety net programs like Medical Assistance and General Assistance - Medical Care programs.

Education Funding and Enhancement - The MCC supports adequate and equitable funding for education in our state including early learning, school preparedness, K-12 programs, special education and services for students in public and non-public schools. We also support initiatives that enhance parental choice and ease family investments in education through expanded tax credits and deductions.

Poverty, Minimum Wage Increase, Living Wage - The MCC advocates for efforts to alleviate poverty in our state. To this end, we support continued funding for the Legislative Commission to End Poverty. We also support efforts to ensure adequate wages, tax credits for working families, access to affordable child care and job training and education.

Dignity for Immigrants - We support policies and programs that recognize the inherent human dignity of all people. We feel that immigrant communities should have access to public services and assistance. We support efforts to ease the path to citizenship and education.

Affordable Housing, Transitional Housing, Housing With Services -

We support increased funding for the creation and preservation of housing that is affordable to low and moderate-income people. We support programs aimed at increasing home ownership and programs that serve the homeless through transitional and supportive housing programs.

Stewardship of our Environment and Natural Resources - We support efforts to reduce emissions and pollutants that negatively impact our climate. We advocate for increased use of renewable resources and support initiatives intended to help clean our lakes and rivers.