Montana Catholic Conference

The Montana Catholic Conference evaluates its legislative priorities in relation to the rich tradition of Catholic social teaching. Based upon that teaching, we will prioritize our efforts from the following categories:

Protecting Human Life
“We must begin with a commitment never to intentionally kill, or collude in the killing, of any innocent human life, no matter how broken, unformed, disabled or desperate that life may seem.” USCCB, Living the Gospel of Life

Abortion
Abortion, the deliberate killing of a human being before birth, is never morally acceptable, and we oppose it without exception. We support legislation which serves to reduce the number of abortions performed. We support parental involvement and oppose any public funding of abortion. We also support increasing the Children’s Health Insurance Program eligibility to include prenatal care for unborn children and pregnant women and urge the state to provide programs to assist pregnant women, especially the poor. We oppose experimentation on and utilization of unborn children, their tissues, and embryonic stem cells obtained from induced abortions or from cloning procedures.

Euthanasia
We affirm policies which respect the life and dignity of those who are dying. We reject the sanctioning of suicide or assisted suicide. We support basic care for mentally or physically disabled patients, and we encourage the support of families with members needing long-term care.

Capital Punishment
We oppose capital punishment, both because it is discriminatory in its application toward the poor and racial minorities, and because it fosters a culture of death through the use of violence and death to solve problems. We will seek opportunities to eliminate use of the death penalty.

Promoting Family Life
“As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” Pope John Paul II

The family is the basic cell of human society. It must be actively supported in the face of the many pressures working to undermine it. Policies related to the definition of marriage, taxes, divorce, the workplace and welfare must be designed to help families to stay together and to reward responsibility and sacrifice for children.

Marriage
Marriage, as designed by God and revealed in natural law, provides the basic foundation for family life and the common good. We support the definition of marriage as the lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, and our laws should reflect this principle. We support programs to prevent abuse of persons of all ages.

Children
Children must be protected and nurtured. We are committed to the protection of children in all settings. We support vigorous enforcement of existing obscenity and child pornography laws. Because we believe that families need help with the costs of raising children, we support child tax credits and making them fully refundable.

Education
Parents are the primary educators of their children, and educational systems can support or undermine parental efforts to educate and nurture their children. The education of children is a fundamental responsibility of parents, and they have the right to choose education best suited to the needs of their children, including private and religious schools. We support policies which allow parents to exercise this choice regardless of economic status.

Communications
The values of our culture are shaped and shared in the public media – television, radio, film, print and the internet. We must balance respect for freedom of speech with concern for the common good. We promote responsible regulations that protect children and families.

Pursuing Social Justice
“[They will say], ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:37-40

Our faith reflects God’s special concern for the poor and vulnerable and calls us to make their needs our first priority in public life. Economic decisions and institutions must be assessed on whether they protect or undermine the dignity of the human person.We also affirm the importance of economic freedom, initiative, and the right to private property, through which we have the tools and resources to pursue the common good.

Work
Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s act of creation. We support policies that create jobs for all who can work with decent working conditions and fair wages. We affirm the right of workers to choose to organize and bargain collectively. We support job training and adult literacy programs that help low-income workers move into jobs with wages and benefits that support human dignity.

Poverty
Efforts to provide for the basic financial needs of the poor must enhance their lives and dignity. We support approaches that promote greater responsibility and offer concrete steps to help families leave poverty behind.

Discrimination
Unjust discrimination constitutes a grave injustice and affront to human dignity. We support judiciously administered affirmative-action programs as tools to overcome discrimination and its continuing effects. We support efforts to overcome barriers to equal pay and employment for those facing unjust discrimination.

Religious Freedom
Major public issues have moral dimensions. Religious values have significant public consequences. Our nation is enriched and our tradition of pluralism is enhanced, not threatened, when religious groups contribute their values to public debates.

Health Care
Affordable and accessible health care is an essential safeguard of human life. We support measures to ensure that decent health care is available to all, especially children, pregnant women and vulnerable populations. We oppose mandatory inclusion of abortion and artificial contraception in standard healthcare benefits packages.

Food
Food is necessary for life itself, and in this land of plenty, we support policies which ensure a secure food supply for every person, regardless of economic status. We support policies which enable those who grow our food to earn a decent living and maintain their way of life. We believe that rural communities enrich our nation, and we support policies which strengthen them.

Housing
We support effective policies that will increase the availability of safe and affordable housing for all. We oppose unjust discrimination in housing.

Education
All persons, by virtue of their human dignity, have a right to receive a quality education. We must ensure that our nation’s young people are properly prepared to be good citizens, to lead productive lives, and to be socially and morally responsible. This requires that all educational institutions have an orderly, just, respectful and non-violent environment where adequate professional and material resources are available. We support the necessary initiatives to provide adequate funding to educate all persons - including the poor, the vulnerable, and those with disabilities – no matter what school they attend.

Criminal Justice
We believe an ethic of responsibility, rehabilitation, and restoration can become the foundation for the necessary reform of our criminal justice system. We believe that discrimination – including that based on income – has no place in our judicial system. We support cost-effective, community-based, restitution-oriented options to reduce prison overcrowding and lower recidivism rates while still protecting the public.

Environment
The world that God created has been entrusted to us, and our use of it must be directed by God’s plan for creation, not simply for our own benefit. In that use, we must be guided by a concern for future generations. We support policies that protect the land, water and air we share, and encourage environmental protection and sustainable development.

Taxation
Just and equitable taxation is one means by which all members of society share the right and responsibility to contribute to the common good. Through these contributions we share the blessings God has given us so they can be used for the good of all.


2007 Legislative Priorities of the Montana Catholic Conference
The Montana Catholic Conference evaluates its legislative priorities in relation to the rich tradition of Catholic social teaching. Based upon that teaching, we will prioritize our efforts from the following categories: Protecting Human Life “We must begin with a commitment never to intentionally kill, or collude in the killing, of any innocent human life, no matter how broken, unformed, disabled or desperate that life may seem.” USCCB, Living the Gospel of Life Abortion Abortion, the deliberate killing of a human being before birth, is never morally acceptable, and we oppose it without exception. We support legislation which serves to reduce the number of abortions performed. We support parental involvement and oppose any public funding of abortion. We also support increasing the Children’s Health Insurance Program eligibility to include prenatal care for unborn children and pregnant women and urge the state to provide programs to assist pregnant women, especially the poor. We oppose experimentation on and utilization of unborn children, their tissues, and embryonic stem cells obtained from induced abortions or from cloning procedures. Euthanasia We affirm policies which respect the life and dignity of those who are dying. We reject the sanctioning of suicide or assisted suicide. We support basic care for mentally or physically disabled patients, and we encourage the support of families with members needing long-term care. Capital Punishment We oppose capital punishment, both because it is discriminatory in its application toward the poor and racial minorities, and because it fosters a culture of death through the use of violence and death to solve problems. We will seek opportunities to eliminate use of the death penalty. Promoting Family Life “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” Pope John Paul II The family is the basic cell of human society. It must be actively supported in the face of the many pressures working to undermine it. Policies related to the definition of marriage, taxes, divorce, the workplace and welfare must be designed to help families to stay together and to reward responsibility and sacrifice for children. Marriage Marriage, as designed by God and revealed in natural law, provides the basic foundation for family life and the common good. We support the definition of marriage as the lifelong commitment between a man and a woman, and our laws should reflect this principle. We support programs to prevent abuse of persons of all ages. Children Children must be protected and nurtured. We are committed to the protection of children in all settings. We support vigorous enforcement of existing obscenity and child pornography laws. Because we believe that families need help with the costs of raising children, we support child tax credits and making them fully refundable. Education Parents are the primary educators of their children, and educational systems can support or undermine parental efforts to educate and nurture their children. The education of children is a fundamental responsibility of parents, and they have the right to choose education best suited to the needs of their children, including private and religious schools. We support policies which allow parents to exercise this choice regardless of economic status. Communications The values of our culture are shaped and shared in the public media – television, radio, film, print and the internet. We must balance respect for freedom of speech with concern for the common good. We promote responsible regulations that protect children and families. Pursuing Social Justice “[They will say], ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:37-40 Our faith reflects God’s special concern for the poor and vulnerable and calls us to make their needs our first priority in public life. Economic decisions and institutions must be assessed on whether they protect or undermine the dignity of the human person.We also affirm the importance of economic freedom, initiative, and the right to private property, through which we have the tools and resources to pursue the common good. Work Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God’s act of creation. We support policies that create jobs for all who can work with decent working conditions and fair wages. We affirm the right of workers to choose to organize and bargain collectively. We support job training and adult literacy programs that help low-income workers move into jobs with wages and benefits that support human dignity. Poverty Efforts to provide for the basic financial needs of the poor must enhance their lives and dignity. We support approaches that promote greater responsibility and offer concrete steps to help families leave poverty behind. Discrimination Unjust discrimination constitutes a grave injustice and affront to human dignity. We support judiciously administered affirmative-action programs as tools to overcome discrimination and its continuing effects. We support efforts to overcome barriers to equal pay and employment for those facing unjust discrimination. Religious Freedom Major public issues have moral dimensions. Religious values have significant public consequences. Our nation is enriched and our tradition of pluralism is enhanced, not threatened, when religious groups contribute their values to public debates. Health Care Affordable and accessible health care is an essential safeguard of human life. We support measures to ensure that decent health care is available to all, especially children, pregnant women and vulnerable populations. We oppose mandatory inclusion of abortion and artificial contraception in standard healthcare benefits packages. Food Food is necessary for life itself, and in this land of plenty, we support policies which ensure a secure food supply for every person, regardless of economic status. We support policies which enable those who grow our food to earn a decent living and maintain their way of life. We believe that rural communities enrich our nation, and we support policies which strengthen them. Housing We support effective policies that will increase the availability of safe and affordable housing for all. We oppose unjust discrimination in housing. Education All persons, by virtue of their human dignity, have a right to receive a quality education. We must ensure that our nation’s young people are properly prepared to be good citizens, to lead productive lives, and to be socially and morally responsible. This requires that all educational institutions have an orderly, just, respectful and non-violent environment where adequate professional and material resources are available. We support the necessary initiatives to provide adequate funding to educate all persons - including the poor, the vulnerable, and those with disabilities – no matter what school they attend. Criminal Justice We believe an ethic of responsibility, rehabilitation, and restoration can become the foundation for the necessary reform of our criminal justice system. We believe that discrimination – including that based on income – has no place in our judicial system. We support cost-effective, community-based, restitution-oriented options to reduce prison overcrowding and lower recidivism rates while still protecting the public. Environment The world that God created has been entrusted to us, and our use of it must be directed by God’s plan for creation, not simply for our own benefit. In that use, we must be guided by a concern for future generations. We support policies that protect the land, water and air we share, and encourage environmental protection and sustainable development. Taxation Just and equitable taxation is one means by which all members of society share the right and responsibility to contribute to the common good. Through these contributions we share the blessings God has given us so they can be used for the good of all.