Inside the Capitol

Civility has a bad name these days, especially in an election year.  It is seen as being weak, or an unwillingness to “speak truth to power.”  If you are not outraged, you are not paying attention, as the saying goes. 

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The 2024 election will determine not only our next president but also numerous legislators at the local, state, and federal levels. As Minnesotans prepare to vote, we as Catholics are called to do so with a focus on human dignity, recognizing that every person is made in the image and likeness of God. This fundamental belief is central to how we engage in public life, including how we vote. Catholics should approach the upcoming election with this in mind, using the Church’s teachings as a guide to form their conscience and inform their vote at the ballot box.

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In a representative democracy, citizens vote to determine who will represent them, their families, and their neighbors at all levels of government. When voting for a candidate, citizens trust that the elected official will consider his or her conscience and do what is in the best interest of the constituents. 

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During the final day of the 2024 legislative session, as lawmakers were meeting late into the night and on weekends, the doors to the Minnesota State Capitol were locked. That is a fitting anecdote to a biennium that lacked both transparency and adequate citizen participation in the lawmaking process.

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The Minnesota Legislature adjourned its 2024 regular session on Monday, May 20, at midnight. This session, shorter and with fewer bills passed than in 2023, posed significant challenges to religious freedom, affecting Catholics and all people of faith. In response, Catholics actively defended their faith and promoted the common good by engaging with legislators through the Catholic Advocacy Network, making thousands of communications to legislators via calls, letters, and emails.  

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On April 29, the Minnesota House of Representatives voted to advance H.F. 3567, a bill that would establish a legal framework for commercial surrogacy agreements in our state. This legislation should stir grave concerns among Catholics and our belief in the protection and promotion human dignity and of human life from conception to natural death. 

 

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The debate over the legalization of sports gambling has intensified at the Legislature, raising concerns about the potential negative impacts on individuals and communities. The Minnesota Catholic Conference stands firm in our opposition to the expansion of gambling, advocating instead for strict limitations and expansive safeguards against addiction.  

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During the House floor proceedings on Monday, March 25, Republican legislators tried to prioritize the restoration of religious freedom protections in the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA) by moving to declare an urgency on the matter, which allows a bill to bypass the committee process and move right to a floor vote.  

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