MCC from the Capitol

The MCC discusses the latest bills and upcoming 2025 legislative session focusing on immigration, criminal justice, child tax credits and abortion.

Curt Wichmer, Legislative Analyst at the MCC, recently spoke with Mary Varni, Director of the Respect Life Apostolate for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, Deb Sheppard, Director of the Life and Justice Office for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, and Sister Janine Tran, Respect Life Director for the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, about the dangerous and misleading language in Amendment 3. They discuss how miscarriage care will still be provided, that the amendment would prohibit any type of penalty for someone who assists a person in “exercising their right to reproductive freedom,” and how it would open the door to taxpayer funding of abortion.

Gabriel's Retreat Ministries helps women find love and support when expecting the unexpected. By meeting women where they are, Gabriel's Retreat provides love and support for them and their families to bring hope and peace in a time of unexpectedness. Participation in their retreats and programs will help women to nurture their faith as beloved daughters of God, grow in community with others, and find joy in motherhood.https://gabrielsretreat.org/

Msgr. Robert Kurwicki, Vicar General of the Diocese of Jefferson City, talks about his experiences as the Chaplain to the Missouri House of Representatives.

The Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Fr. Brad Berhorst, JCL, JV, discusses annulments on the MCC from the Capitol podcast. Many Catholics confuse civil divorce with the Catholic Church's declaration of annulment. Fr. Berhorst discusses the differences, what constitutes a valid marriage, reasons that create an impediment to a valid marriage, and the annulment process. If you have questions or comments about this subject, please contact communications@mocatholic.org.

Chuck and Linda Raymond discuss the lingering pain and guilt felt by women and men after an abortion. This podcast covers how to find healing and hope as individuals and couples and what resources are available through the Catholic church to help those who are wounded by abortion.You can view a list of resources available by diocese on the Missouri Catholic Conference website at https://mocatholic.org/women-and-families-resources/

Bishop Edward M. Rice, of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, gave an impassioned homily during Mass at the Proto-Cathedral of St. Peter. The Mass was celebrated at the end of the Midwest March for Life on May 1, 2024 in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Jamie Morris, the MCC's Executive Director and General Counsel, recently spoke to Jimmy Akin about the lack of civility in politics for our MCC from the Capitol podcast.Mr. Akin is a senior apologist at Catholic Answers and the host of Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World. He is the author of several books including The Bible is A Catholic Book and Teaching with Authority: How to Cut Through Doctrinal Confusion & Understand What the Church Really Says.Visit Jimmy Akin at:jimmyakin.commysterious.fmcatholic.com

Missouri Catholic Conference Executive Director and General Counsel, Jamie Morris, talks with Rev. Father Tadeusz Pacholczyk, Ph.D. about the ethical concerns and Church teaching on In Vitro Fertilization. Fr. Pacholczyk earned his doctorate in neuroscience from Yale and did post-doctoral work at Harvard. He is a priest of the diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, and serves as Senior Ethicist at The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia.https://www.youtube.com/@FatherTad/videoshttps://www.ncbcenter.org/https://www.fathertad.com/

Jamie Morris, Executive Director and General Counsel of the Missouri Catholic Conference, talks with Sam Lee of Campaign Life about the status of the Abortion Initiative Petition. Jamie and Sam discuss in depth how the petition would enshrine abortion in the Missouri Constitution, allow abortion through all nine months of pregnancy, allow any healthcare provider, such as a dentist or doula, to perform an abortion, and eliminate protections for women who have an abortion.

Destiny Herndon-De La Rosa talks with MCC, Executive Director, Jamie Morris, about New Wave Feminists and their advocacy for the vulnerable. New Wave Feminists is a pro-(all) Life feminist organization, that believe every human being should live a life free from violence, from the womb to the tomb.

Bishop Johnston of the Diocese of Kansas City/St. Joseph discusses the importance of the real presence of Jesus Christ being truly present in the Holy Eucharisst.

Bishop Edward Rice, Bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, and MCC lobbyist Curt Wichmer discuss the history of the Catholic teaching on the death penalty and how the principle of double effect interacts with capital punishmentʼs validity, in this episode of MCC from the Capitol. 

MCC Executive Director Jamie Morris sits down with Jessica Woolbright, Executive Director of the Saint Martha's domestic violence center in St. Louis, and Deacon Tyler McClay, Director of Advocacy at Catholic Charities of St. Louis, to discuss the impact of guns in domestic violence situations, federal and state legislation, and the upcoming gun violence summit.

MCC Executive Director Jamie Morris sits down to discuss which MCC priority bills passed during the 2023 legislative session and which did not. To see the complete MCC 2023 End of Session report, click here.

In this episode of MCC from the Capitol, the Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) lobbyists give an update on the first half of the Missouri legislative session. We discuss child care and adoption tax credits, postpartum care, campus religious liberty, and more.

In this episode of MCC from the Capitol, the Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) lobbyists discuss the happenings of the early 2023 Missouri legislative session. The team converses school choice, postpartum care, and criminal justice reform.

Dr. Michael Meehan is the CEO of Marygrove, a child welfare agency near St. Louis that helps children, teens and young adults learn how to transcend an abusive past or overcome other life challenges and move toward a brighter future. In this episode, he discusses how individuals and parishes can get involved in supporting youth and foster families. 

Have you ever wondered what the foster parent process looks like? Hear one mom's journey about feeling called to foster and eventually adopt a group of siblings. Shelly Sconce discusses the surprises and rewards of expanding her family in this episode of MCC from the Capitol. 

Bishop Shawn McKnight (Diocese of Jefferson City) discusses  how Catholics can form their consciences in order to answer the Church's call to faithful citizenship. 

Aimee Murphy, a Catholic, describes why she created Rehumanize International, a nonpartisan, secular organization dedicated to bringing an end to all aggressive violence against humans. 

Marie Kenyon, attorney and director of the Peace and Justice Commission for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, details her experience at the border and explains how Catholics are called to support immigrants and the law. 

Mike Hoey, former director of the Missouri Catholic Conference, explains the history of the Blaine Amendment in Missouri and how its anti-Catholic language kick-started the MCC's role in defending Catholic education at the capitol. 

Donnell Rehagen, CEO of Clean Fuels Alliance America, headquartered in Jefferson City, discusses the impact biodiesel fuel has on the environment, public health, and the state of Missouri. 

Carter Snead, law professor and director of the de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame, and Jamie Morris, legislative counsel for the MCC, discuss the significance of the Court's decision in Dobbs and what is next for the pro-life movement in this episode of MCC from the Capitol podcast.

The Missouri Treasurer's office is rolling out the new Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program, passed into law in 2021, that allows qualifying students to apply for a scholarship to attend a private or other qualifying school. Guests Jeremy Lillig from the Bright Futures Fund and Nicolette Gibson from MoCAPE dive into the program, how it works, and what it means for the students in your life.

What happened – and what didn't happen – in Jefferson City during the 2022 legislative session? Find out by listening to the Missouri Catholic Conference's latest legislative roundtable episode of MCC from the Capitol, MCC's podcast. Be sure to let us know how much you enjoyed the podcast by giving it a rating afterward.

What happened – and what didn't happen – in Jefferson City during the first nine weeks of the 2022 legislative session? Find out by listening to the Missouri Catholic Conference's latest legislative roundtable episode of MCC from the Capitol, MCC's podcast. Be sure to let us know how much you enjoyed the podcast by giving it a rating afterward.

In this episode of MCC from the Capitol, the three Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) lobbyists discuss the happenings of the early 2022 Missouri legislative session along with the MCC's public policy priorities. The team converses about increasing the minimum wage for state employees, bitter divisions regarding the new congressional map, and parental rights in education.

Few issues are as morally challenging for Catholics as the death penalty. Since capital punishment was re-instated in 1976, the United States has executed 1,536 individuals. Missouri, with 91 executions, is in the top five states resorting to capital punishment. While support for the death penalty has steadily decreased over the years, the majority of Americans favor it. But what does the Catholic Church teach about capital punishment? Exonerated Death Row Prisoner Joe Amrine and one of the members of the jury that convicted him, Deacon Larry Hildebrand, share their incredible stories of faith and forgiveness in this podcast.

The world's leaders recently met in Glasgow, Scotland to discuss climate change and to reassess the agreements set out in the 2015 Paris climate Accord.  The meeting ended with the attendees agreeing to a new “pact” to continue addressing global climate changes.  Dr. Benjamin de Foy, Professor of Atmospheric Science at St. Louis University, joins the podcast to discuss what was accomplished in Glasgow and how the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount offer Catholics a Biblical lens through which to view this important issue. 

Catholics and the Catholic Church have been present in the Midwest since before Missouri was officially recognized as a state. History records that the Church in Europe sent priests and religious to the New World as missionaries to bring the faith to native peoples and to establish schools and parishes for Catholic settlers. Monsignor Robert Kurwicki of the Diocese of Jefferson City, who currently serves as Chaplain to the Missouri House of Representatives in Jefferson City, joins the podcast to discuss the rich and interesting history of the Catholic Church in Missouri.

Central Missouri has been a safe harbor for people seeking refuge from wars and natural disasters for several decades, and the Catholic Church has been active in their settlement. Though the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. varies from year to year, the ministry to those hoping to find a new home continues. Dan Lester, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri (CCCNMO), and Samantha Moog, CCCNMO Director of Refugee Services, offer their expertise and perspective on this important ministry of the Church.

In May of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a case that challenges the constitutionality of a 2018 Mississippi law banning abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy with few exceptions. A ruling by the Supreme Court that the law is constitutional could upend its own landmark decisions in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Tom Buckley, in-house General Counsel for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and Bill Francis, Director of the Respect Life and Human Rights Office for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, join the podcast to discuss what the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs could mean for Missouri. 

Catholic healthcare institutions work tirelessly to provide faith-based healthcare to the people of Missouri. They also offer employment opportunities for healthcare workers seeking to practice their profession in accord with their Catholic faith. MCC Public Policy members Jared Bryson, Vice President of Mission and Church Relations for Mercy Health, and Chris Baechle, Chief Executive Officer for Cardinal Ritter Senior Services in St. Louis, discuss how their employers carry on this work in the current legal and regulatory environment influenced by an increasingly secular culture and society. 

During the 2021 legislative session, the Missouri General Assembly unanimously voted to denounce the 1852 Missouri Supreme Court decision which denied Dred and Harriett Scott freedom from slavery.  Joyce Jones, MCC Public Policy Committee Chairwoman, and Monsignor Michael Witt, Professor of Church History at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, join the podcast to discuss this historic vote along with other historic examples of systemic racial injustice, which continue to impact people of color today. 

Like many states, Missouri faces a shortage of affordable housing.  Military veterans, low-wage earners, families, the physically and mentally disabled and the elderly all struggle to find an affordable place to live. How do federal and state low-income tax credit programs help to encourage developers to build housing for those in need?  Meleah Spencer, Chief Executive Officer of The Kitchen, and Becky Selle, co-founder of Sustainable Housing Solutions, LLC, join the podcast to discuss how they utilize these tax credits in their efforts to provide low-income housing solutions in Springfield, MO. 

In this episode of MCC from the Capitol, MCC Executive Director Tyler McClay discusses Fulton v. Philadelphia  with Lance Kinzer of the First Amendment Partnership, and MCC lobbyist Jamie Morris joins in to discuss Sanchez v. Mayorkas, an immigration case, along with the decision on the Affordable Care Act.

Looking for more inside news about the 2021 legislative session? In the latest episode of MCC from the Capitol, our lobbyists discuss the surprises, setbacks, and successes of this year's Missouri legislative session. 

In the latest episode of MCC from the Capitol, MCC Executive Director Tyler McClay talks with Mary Hasson about the Equality Act and gender ideology. During this episode, Tyler and Mary discuss these very sensitive issues from a Catholic perspective, providing an understanding and a way forward for the faithful who may know someone struggling with gender confusion. Mary also weighs in on the Equality Act, and the impact it would have on religious organizations and individuals if it were to pass.Mary Hasson bio: Mary Hasson, JD, is the Kate O’Beirne Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., where she also directs the Catholic Women’s Forum, a network of Catholic professional women and scholars seeking to amplify the voice of women in support of Catholic teachings. An attorney and policy expert, Mary advises legislators and faith-based organizations, including the USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, for whom she consults. Mary is the co-author of two books on education and editor of Promise and Challenge: Catholic Women Reflect on Feminism, Complementarity, and the Church. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Notre Dame Law School, Mary and her husband are the parents of seven adult children. 

In this episode of MCC from the Capitol, the MCC lobbyists discuss the happenings of the first half of the 2021 Missouri legislative session, including which MCC public policy priority bills are moving—with a focus on the areas of criminal justice and pro-life—how legislators are (or aren't) working together on select bills, and insights into what the second half of the session may bring. We hope you enjoy this episode of MCC from the Capitol!

In this episode of MCC from the Capitol, MCC Executive Director Tyler McClay talks COVID-19 vaccines with Bishop McKnight of the Diocese of Jefferson City, and Dr. Keith Starke, internist and Senior Advisor, Office of Clinical Excellence at Mercy.Bishop McKnight and Dr. Starke answer common questions about the COVID-19 vaccines from both a Catholic and medical perspective, shining light on the truths and misconceptions about these vaccines, from their connections to morally-compromised cell lines, efficacy, safety, and more. To learn even more about these vaccines from a Catholic perspective, see the Winter 2021 edition of MCC Messenger.

In this episode of MCC from the Capitol, the three Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC) lobbyists discuss the happenings of the early 2021 Missouri legislative session, including the governor's inauguration and early bill filings, along with the MCC's public policy priorities. In addition, the team converses about political rhetoric, the attack on the Capitol, and navigating our polarized political arena. They also share a preview of an upcoming episode of MCC from the Capitol with a focus on COVID-19 vaccines.

Our political discourse has become increasingly rancorous and bitter. Spend any time on social media or watching the news and it is apparent that we are living in an era of outrage. The U.S. bishops began a campaign last year to restore civility to our public and political discourse called Civilize It: Dignity Beyond the Debate. Join MCC staff members and newly-appointed Archbishop of St. Louis Mitchell Rozanski as they discuss civility and how it can lead to more respectful dialogue as we enter the remaining weeks of the 2020 Presidential election season.

Pope Francis has made the plight of refugees, migrants, and immigrants a focus of his pontificate, speaking frequently about the need for people of faith to offer assistance to those fleeing war, persecution and economic desperation. In this podcast, we invite listeners to hear the stories of recent immigrants to the U.S. from Mexico and Central America through the work of Deacon Enrique Castro, director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Jefferson City, and Javier Orozco, executive director of Human Dignity and Intercultural Affairs for the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Our parish schools play a critical role in helping to form our Catholic young people. Yet, challenges abound for parents seeking to provide a Catholic education for their children, especially when teaching and learning must be done remotely. Join Dr. Erin Vader, Superintendent for Catholic schools in the diocese of Jefferson City, and Nicolette Gibson, Executive Director for the Missouri Council of American Private Education as they discuss the challenges faced this past year for educators and parents alike.

Vatican II proclaimed that religious liberty lays its foundation in the dignity of the human person, and that no one should be compelled to act in a manner that violates his/her conscience. But are their limits to this liberty that people of faith must accept for the common good? Bishop Mark Rivituso, Auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and Tom Buckley, General Counsel for the Archdiocese, discuss the Church’s response to the recent government shutdowns due to the COVID pandemic.

For decades, we were warned of overpopulation and its attendant problems: food shortages, environmental damage, and mass deaths. However, statistics show that worldwide birth rates have been steadily decreasing for the last 50 years and by mid-century, the world’s population is expected to begin to shrink. How did we get here, and what steps can be taken to reverse this trend? Jonathan V. Last, executive editor at The Bulwark and author of What to Expect When No One’s Expecting, America’s Coming Demographic Disaster, joins us to discuss the economic, cultural, and political effects of a shrinking population.

The senseless death of George Floyd reveals that we still have much work to do in this country to address racism. How can we address the racism of our past and the systemic racism that continues to exist in the present? Guests Joyce Jones, program director for racial harmony for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and Jeff Schulenberg, facilitator of the social justice commission at Sacred Heart parish in Valley Park discuss the seminar they offer parishes called “The Racialization of America.”

In this episode, we chat with Tamara Kenny, Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement at Catholic Charities of St. Louis, and Brock Ingmire, Director of State Policy & Advocacy for Ascension Health, about Medicaid expansion in Missouri. Missourians will vote on Medicaid expansion (Amendment 2) on August 4, 2020.For more information on Medicaid expansion, please visit our resources page at mocatholic.org