Inside the Capitol

Election Day has passed, and leaders have been chosen at every level of government. So, what happens next? This is when the real work begins.

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Across the country, the conversation around sports gambling continues to heat up, with 38 states already having passed laws to legalize the practice. Proponents argue that it generates revenue, but the data from states that have legalized sports betting tell a darker story. Instead of economic windfalls, these states have seen increased financial instability, rising debt, and other alarming social consequences. Some of these states are already rethinking legalization. Unfortunately, Minnesota is now in the crosshairs, with sports gambling advocates once again planning to press lawmakers during the 2025 legislative session. 

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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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