Catholics at the Capital 30-April celebrates 50th anniversary

Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center 1 John Nolen Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53703

Keynote Address Vincent Noth & Samantha Vosters Executive Director and Team Form Director of the Riverwest Food Pantry   Communities of Generosity: Food, Faith & Fellowship: The mission of Riverwest Food Pantry in Milwaukee is not only to relieve hunger, but also to create a community where everyone gives and everyone receives.  Learn how a Catholic intentional "community of generosity" combines a mission house, daily prayer, corporal works of mercy, and attention to the structural causes of poverty.   For more information on Vincent and Sam, visit their biography page.

continue at WCC

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Prayers for Wisconsin Catholic Conference

Pray for the bishops in Wisconsin as the Wisconsin Catholic Conference meets today. Thank you!

— Bishop David Ricken (@BpDavidRicken) October 31, 2017

Catholics at the Capitol tomorrow in Madison

Keynote Address
Colleen Stratton
Advocate, Eye Heart World

Colleen is a speaker, writer, and survivor of human trafficking. She is passionate about using her story to educate, inform and empower others. After years of walking about in darkness, shackled in chains of addiction, shame and fear, she experienced a radical transformation as a result of God’s amazing gift of grace. Colleen has a heart for proclaiming freedom to the captives and hope to the hopeless. It is her joy to be a member of the Eye Heart World outreach team, as she is able to share her experience and hope with the women she comes in contact with.

details at Wisconsin Catholic Conference

Wis Catholic Conference: Urge Congress to pass Conscience Protection Act now!

Now is the time to contact your representatives to urge them to co-sponsor and work to enact the Conscience Protection Act of 2016 (H.R. 4828/S. 2927). Please tell your members to uphold the right of conscientious objection to abortion by enacting this much-needed legislation. The bill, now introduced into both chambers, contains the policy of what in past years has been called the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA).

The need for federal conscience protection has only grown since 2014, when California started forcing almost all health plans in the state to cover elective abortions, even late-term abortions. This policy has no exemption for moral or religious objections. A mandate for hospitals, even religious ones, to perform abortions may be next. What is more, other states such as Washington and New York may be following California's lead. These actions clearly violate a federal law known as the Weldon Amendment, which forbids governments receiving federal health care funds to discriminate against those who decline to take part in abortion or abortion coverage. Unfortunately, this amendment has legal weaknesses that make it largely ineffective against such challenges.

The Conscience Protection Act of 2016 (H.R. 4828/S. 2927), will protect health care providers from being forced to pay for or participate in abortions, and allow victims of discrimination a "right of action" to defend their rights in court. For example, nurses threatened with loss of their jobs unless they assist in abortions have found they have no right to go to court to see the law enforced. Congress should reaffirm a principle that has long enjoyed broad bipartisan support: Government should not force hospitals, doctors, nurses and other providers to stop offering much-needed health care because they cannot in good conscience participate in destroying a developing life.

continue at WCC

Conscience protection is important, but equally important is reasserting ethics in public health policy. Elective abortion is not medicine and is bad for public health.

Wisconsin Catholic Conference seeking Associate Director for Education and Health Care

WCC: Associate Directorfor Education and Health Care

Head of Wisconsin Catholic Conference John Huebscher retires after 30 years

John Huebscher

In a 1993 interview less than a year after he became executive director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, John Huebscher remarked, “I like going to work in the morning, and the range of issues we deal with. It may be health care in the morning, gambling at noon, education in the evening, and abortion the next day.”

Asked last week if he still felt that way, Huebscher answered, “Yes.”

Huebscher retired Jan. 15 from the WCC, the public policy voice of the state’s Catholic bishops.

MKE Catholic Herald: WCC director aimed to make point ‘with quiet dignity’

John Huebscher says that the Catholic Church has “always been tugging at my sleeve.”

“I’ve always been interested in the Church,” he said in an interview prior to his retirement this month as executive director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC), the public policy voice of the state’s Catholic bishops.

“I even thought about entering the seminary,” he said. In fact, his pastor encouraged him to visit the seminary in Milwaukee in 1967 and he met the rector in his office.

Huebscher decided not to study to be a priest, but years later, he sat in the same office now occupied by the archbishop of Milwaukee, then Rembert Weakland, when he was being hired as executive director of the WCC.

Mad Catholic Herald

On Jan. 16, Kim Wadas will become executive director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the state’s Catholic bishops.

Wadas describes herself as “a product of the Midwest generally.” Born in Burlington, Iowa, she moved at age 2 to Janesville. From there, it was on to Wildwood, Illinois, then Muskegon, Michigan, where she graduated from Muskegon Catholic Central High School.

She earned an undergraduate degree in history and political science at Marquette University and a law degree at the University of Iowa. She dabbled in politics as an intern with Republican Congressman Doug Bereuter of Nebraska but decided nonprofit legal work was more to her liking.

WisSJ: Know Your Madisonian: Kim Wadas to lead statewide group advancing Catholic public policy(interview)

John Huebscher to retire as Wisconsin Catholic Conference executive director

MADISON -- The Wisconsin Catholic Conference (WCC) announced that Executive Director John Huebscher will retire in January and Associate Director Kim Wadas will succeed him.

The WCC was organized by the state’s Catholic bishops in 1969 for the purpose of coordinating various interdiocesan activities and public affairs interests of the five Roman Catholic dioceses in Wisconsin on a statewide level.

A primary responsibility given to the conference is to represent the dioceses in the Wisconsin Legislature and to study and develop public policy positions that reflect the teachings and values of the Catholic Church.

Huebscher is the WCC’s second director, having succeeded Charles Phillips in July of 1992.

continue at MadCatHerald

WCC Capitol Update - October 23, 2015

[I'd just link to this, but while it came by email it isn't posted on the WCC website yet.]

Contents Include:
1.  Senate Health Committee Passes Two Pro-Life Bills
2.  Upcoming Hearings of Interest
3.  New Bills of Interest
...

Wisconsin Catholic Conference strongly supports AB 305 and testified at the public hearing

BAN SALE AND USE OF FETAL BODY PARTS-SUPPORT ASSEMBLY BILL 305

BACKGROUND

Senator Duey Stroebel (R-Saukville) and Representative André Jacque (R-De Pere) have introduced Substitute Amendment 1 to Assembly Bill 305 to ban the sale and use of fetal body parts procured from induced abortions that take place after January 1, 2015. The ban would not affect research on existing fetal-derived cell lines in Wisconsin, but any person who violates the ban would be guilty of a Class H Felony and be fined up to $50,000.

The amended bill passed out of committee on September 10 and is now available for a vote on the floor of the Assembly.

WCC POSITION

The Wisconsin Catholic Conference strongly supports AB 305 and testified at the public hearing that scientific progress can and must proceed in an ethical manner without commodifying human beings.

Wisconsin Catholic Conference

They appear to also be trying to integrate some more modern functionality to their website, an RSS feed which we now have added on the side, they have been on Facebook as well for a while now.... so might as well open a Twitter account and sync it to what gets posted on Facebook.

BTW, I forced myself to watch the debate last night.  People are always trying to talk me out of it but I will vote Rand Paul in the primary.  He's the only one who has any kind of reasonable foreign policy, and it stands out in the debates.  Everybody else on foreign policy sounds like John McCain in 2008 pounding his fist on the podium screaming about bombing Russia.  I expect him to stay in the after the other candidates begin bowing out and could be a sleeper for a late surge.  People continue to discount him because he has different policy than the cookie cutter models of the rest of the GOP, or the Trump policy of doing "special stuff."

That said, Carly Fiorina continues to impress and is certainly more than a "token woman" candidate that some touted her to be.  But ultimately, her McCain like policy (she was an adviser to McCain's presidential campaign) are not going to win.

2015-17 Wisconsin State Budget Summary

Capitol Update at the Wisconsin Catholic Conference.

WisSJ: Catholics scour polling data before hitting Capitol

How do you sway a legislator to your side when the political environment is so polarized?

That was a question hanging heavily over the recent “Catholics at the Capitol” event in Madison. The gathering, held every other year, brings Catholics from across the state to town for a day of political advocacy.

Participants spend part of the day as “citizen lobbyists.” They meet with legislators in hopes of persuading them to support the positions of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s nearly 1.6 million Catholics and is led by the state’s bishops.

Before heading to the Capitol, this year’s 190 participants could attend a variety of workshops at Monona Terrace, including one led by Charles Franklin, the state’s preeminent pollster and director of the Marquette University Law School Poll. Madison Catholic Bishop Robert Morlino was among those sitting in on Franklin’s talk.

It was titled “Are Wisconsin’s Voters Really Polarized?” The short answer: not all the time.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/religion/in-the-spirit-catholics-scour-polling-data-before-hitting-capitol/article_9d41274f-d50b-55d4-a56b-eaf1643ed903.html#ixzz3Xrz2AoRI

WCC Capitol Update - March 6, 2015

This update from the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, public policy arm of Wisconsin's Catholic bishops, includes:

"WCC Testifies on Right to Work Bill
"This week and last, the WCC testified for information on Senate Bill 44 and its companion bill (Assembly Bill 61), which would create a state right to work law by allowing private-sector employees to refrain from paying union dues. Both the Senate and Assembly have passed the bill, which Governor Walker has announced he will sign on Monday."

That testimony on Catholic social teaching said, among other things, that,

"If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers ...must be respected – the right ...to organize and choose to join a union..."

and

"Workers have the right to choose whether to organize, join a union, and bargain collectively, and to exercise these rights without reprisal."

So does "choose" support the principle of "right-to-work" or not?

Also in this update,

• "Joint Finance Schedules Public Hearings on State Budget" with "some tips on testifying at these hearings"
• "Registration: Catholics at the Capitol, April 8, 2015"
• "Upcoming Hearings of Interest"
• "New Bills of Interest" including SJR-14 "Commending Pope Francis" [text here]
• "Websites of Interest" provides legislative references

Wis Catholic Conference director gives testimony on right to work bill

MADISON – State legislators debating a right to work bill must put the common good of workers and employers before all other interests, the Wisconsin Catholic Conference executive director said in testimony at the state capitol Feb. 24.

During testimony given on Senate Bill 44, John Huebscher, WCC executive director, told the Senate Committee on Labor and Government Reform Feb. 24 that the rights of workers and employees must be respected in any legislation offered.

Huebscher said the church’s moral voice on social matters such as worker rights is based on Catholic social teaching, “which consists of seven essential principles, one of which is the ‘Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers.’”

In his testimony, Huebscher quoted the state bishops’ 2015 Public Policy Positions document.

continue at The Compass 

WCC Capitol Update February 6, 2015

The latest on state government from the Wisconsin Catholic Conference includes:

1. Governor Presents 2015-16 State Budget
2. WCC Supports Human Trafficking Bill
3. Online Registration Open: Catholics at the Capitol, April 8, 2015
4. Upcoming Hearings of Interest
5. New Bills of Interest
6. Websites of Interest

For background, here are the WCC's 2015 Public Policy Positions.

WCC issues statement as Seventh Circuit hears Marriage Amendment case

In a statement issued Tuesday, Aug. 26 by the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the state’s Catholic bishops, the bishops reaffirmed their support for Wisconsin’s constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman, and for the voters who approved it, as the seventh circuit court hears a lawsuit on the legality of the state amendment.

“In approving the long understood truth that marriage is a union between a man and a woman the voters were not establishing a religious understanding of marriage as an institution,” the bishops said. “Rather they were recognizing a truth about human relationships and the nurturing of generations.”

Wisconsin’s voters approved the constitutional amendment defining marriage in a 2006 referendum that garnered 59 percent of the vote. The amendment has since been challenged in federal court and a judge for the Western District of Wisconsin held the measure to violate the U.S. Constitution. The ruling was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. The Appeals Court consolidated the case with a similar appeal from Indiana. The Court heard oral arguments on the case on August 26, 2014.

In addition to affirming their support for the amendment, the bishops also praised Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen for his defense of the amendment.

continue at MKE Catholic Herald 

This is an excellent statement, succinct and to the heart of the matter!

WCC Capitol Report August 2014

The Wisconsin Catholic Conference has posted its August 2014 Capitol Report newsletter, containing:

• 2013-14 Legislative Summary [in the order discussed: 2013 Wisconsin Act 37; 2013 Wisconsin Act 334; 2013 Wisconsin Act 256; 2013 Wisconsin Act 116; 2013 Wisconsin Act 117; 2013 Wisconsin Act 362; and 2013 Wisconsin Act 115]
• Director's Corner [column by John Huebscher]
• 2014 Voter Education Resources
• WCC Plans to Address Poverty in 2015
• Reyes to Keynote Catholics at the Capitol 2015 [Dr. Jonathan J. Reyes, Executive Director of the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops]
• 2014 Legislative Special Committees [among those at Wisconsin Legislature]

Borders and burdens

John Huebscher, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, argues that Unaccompanied Minors at Our Border Provide Opportunity for Pro-Life Witness, in WCC's Eye on the Capitol for August 1, 2014. Here's his math.

"If we are prepared to do this for 6,900 children lost to the abortionists, how can we accept the argument that caring for less than 2% of that number is something we can’t afford?"

Wisconsin Catholic Conference issues statement on Barbara Crabb Marriage Amendment decision

WCC COMMENTS ON FEDERAL COURT MARRIAGE RULING

Thank you WCC for issuing a statement.

Other than Madison, I have yet to see any other statements from dioceses, but please let me know if one is issued.

Also: Crabb said she did not explicitly tell county clerks to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples
I don't really buy that, this is orchestrated the same way at other judicial fiats in the country, the same reason a decision was reached on Friday afternoon so it could get a weekend news cycle.  I guess to protect her reputation she is going to be coy.
42 Wisconsin Counties Issue Gay Marriage Licenses
Wisconsin Family Action: Drumbeats, Marriage, Judges and the Truth

Wis Catholic Conference: State Senate Should Protect Human Rights and Religious Freedom

Bravo!  So I was skimming the La Crosse diocesan newspaper and came across this.  It was originally posted by WCC on January 14th. Since the WCC has no RSS feed, Twitter account, etc., it makes following them excessively difficult.  But this is precisely what I was looking for, support of the current legislation in Wisconsin immediately affecting Catholics' way of life, in particular Wisconsin Family Action's AB 216.  WCC at times has appeared disconnected with the ongoings of local legislation, it's great to see them support this excellent bill.  Now we the voters need to start banging on our state legislators doors. 

via Wisconsin Catholic Conference

There has been a lot of discussion lately about the federal government’s failure to protect religious liberty. Much of this discussion is over whether the Obama Administration adequately protects religious liberty under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly called “Obamacare.” However, Catholics might be surprised to know that our own Wisconsin Senate has been reluctant to recognize even the limited liberty protections of current federal law.

Since 2009, Wisconsin state law has required that all health insurance policies sold in Wisconsin provide coverage for prescribed contraceptives and related services. Unlike most states with similar requirements, Wisconsin has failed to provide any recognition of religious liberty and conscience. As a result, Catholic agencies in the state that cannot self-insure are forced to purchase morally objectionable coverage.

Efforts to address this are underway, but are currently stalled in the Wisconsin Senate. Assembly Bill 216, the Health Care Conscience Act, mirrors federal law by providing an exemption from objectionable contraceptive coverage requirements for religious entities. Also, like the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, Assembly Bill 216 prohibits state employee health insurance from covering most abortion services. Both measures in AB 216 simply align Wisconsin law with federal law.

Assembly Bill 216 is one of two bills whose critics have received significant media attention. Together with Assembly Bill 217, which prohibits medical professionals from knowingly performing sex-selective abortions, AB 216 has been attacked as escalating a “war on women.” Disregarding such false claims, the Wisconsin Assembly passed both bills. The Senate, however, has failed to schedule a vote on either.

Wisconsin income tax deduction for private school tuition

via Superior Catholic Herald

An income tax deduction goes into effect Jan. 1, 2014, for those paying private and religious school tuition in Wisconsin.

Anyone paying tuition expenses may deduct up to $4,000 per child in kindergarten through eighth grade and up to $10,000 for each child in grades nine through twelve.

According to the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, which supported the legislation, the average eligible family will see tax decreases of around $240 per younger child and $600 for each high school student when they file taxes in 2015.

For information, contact the state Department of Revenue, (608) 266-2486.

Hey, even if we can't get vouchers this will be a nice bonus!  Just in time for us to send our #1 to school in the fall.