Inside the Capitol

School choice opponents often argue that creating more options for parents will allow non-public schools to skim the cream of students from public schools, leaving everyone else behind. But a recent study underwritten by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice shows that a majority of Minnesotans do not agree that school choice is an “us vs. them” issue. Rather, Minnesotans believe that everyone can benefit from more choice in education.

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The debate over the Indiana Religious Freedom Restoration Act has brought us clarity. If you have wondered to what extent some advocates for “tolerance” will “tolerate” genuine pluralism of opinion about the nature of marriage, gender and human sexuality, you have your answer: very little.

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Minnesota Catholic Conference staff is often asked to describe a typical day at the office. Though every day is different, we are blessed that it is only the rare occasion on which MCC’s policy team spends the whole day behind a desk. This is how it should be, because public policy advocacy requires an entrepreneurial spirit and lots of relationship building —which is not much different from the dynamics of those who work in sales.

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Imagine St. Joseph, struggling in Egypt to support his family as they awaited a time to return home. Or, think of the daily trials the Holy Family faced as they fled the dangers in their homeland. These are problems that many migrants confront on a daily basis as they try to make their way in a new land.

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This year, the Minnesota Catholic Conference has joined other organizations in supporting the Homes for All agenda currently before the Minnesota Legislature.

The Homes for All proposal invests $39 million to address a spectrum of housing needs, such as developing more affordable housing, providing services to prevent homelessness and making available rental assistance to low income families.

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In 2014, the Minnesota Catholic Conference worked to successfully stop problematic legislation that would have legitimized commercial surrogacy contracts, which are currently not recognized under Minnesota law. This session, MCC is advocating for legislation that would establish a commission to study the issues and concerns associated with surrogacy arrangements, including how to ensure that we protect vulnerable women and children from potential exploitation and commodification.

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There is an increase today in the demand for convenience, a growing disdain for anything that causes us any sort of burden or pain. Where once our culture valued and even celebrated someone facing obstacles and admired someone who endured suffering, we now find every means imaginable to avoid these at all costs, even by choosing death that masquerades as “compassion” or “love.”

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Recently, I have been fielding a lot of questions about President Barack Obama’s executive action that “defers action” for, potentially, millions of undocumented persons living in the United States. Many illegal immigrants may have, if they qualify, at least a temporary reprieve from deportation.

Most people with whom I spoke, and who were initially opposed to the president’s action, supported it when they heard what it did and did not do. As Catholics, we support keeping families together.

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