With the Minnesota Legislature midway through its 2024 legislative session and deciding what bills to advance, the state’s Catholic bishops are urging lawmakers to support legislation that serves the common good, protects religious liberty and strengthens families.
Bishops at the Minnesota State Capitol
On March 7, the bishops visited state leaders and lawmakers at the State Capitol — an annual tradition. While Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) staff are typically deployed to be the bishops’ day-to-day voice at the Capitol, the bishops make it a priority to advocate in person on key issues and get to know legislators on a personal level.
This year, the bishops met with Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and legislative leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman, and House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth joined by Rep. Jim Nash, the House minority whip.
The bishops also met with legislators from their individual dioceses. In the spirit of faithful citizenship, it was a rewarding experience for the bishops to get to know or strengthen their relationships with many of the elected officials serving the state at the Capitol.
In total, the bishops had nearly 20 scheduled meetings. They also had numerous conversations in the hallways and during their meet-and-greet with legislators, staff and constituents throughout the day. Watch the MCC Weekly Legislative Update to hear directly from bishops on how the day went at mncatholic.org/mcclegupdate3824.
Safeguarding religious freedom
A key issue the bishops emphasized is the paramount importance of upholding religious freedom for citizens and faith groups in Minnesota.
They voiced concerns over a religious exemption from gender identity discrimination complaints being removed from the Minnesota Human Rights Act (MHRA), as well as the proposed Equal Rights Amendment, which does not provide protection for religious liberty, but does include “gender identity, and expression” as a protected status. Consequently, the bishops fervently advocated for robust and ongoing protection of religious liberties, citing the imperative need to safeguard the mission and integrity of the Church to decide what it professes about the human person and to pick its ministers and teachers accordingly. The bishops received notable and strong interfaith support from Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Evangelicals and Lutherans to reinstate religious exemption protections in the MHRA.
The bishops also expressed reservations about proposals for legalizing online sports gambling, citing potential adverse effects on vulnerable individuals and their families if a veritable sports casino can be placed in every pocket via the smartphone, particularly those susceptible to addiction. They asked lawmakers to ensure proper safeguards would be included to mitigate the harm that could be caused by legalization, such as a ban on in-game betting.
Exemplifying faithful citizenship
Throughout their interactions and on a broad range of legislative concerns, including physician-assisted suicide, migration and economic security, the bishops exemplified faithful citizenship. Amidst areas of divergence with legislators, they upheld the truths espoused by the Church while acknowledging the complexity of these contentious matters. They demonstrated principled advocacy, devoid of partisanship, fostering collaboration across political boundaries.
You, too, can answer the call to faithful citizenship by engaging in meaningful action on these critical issues affecting Minnesota families. Take a stand by visiting MNCatholic.org/actionalerts, where you can convey your support to legislators via messages, videos, or phone calls, urging them to support policies that prioritize the well-being of every Minnesotan.
“Inside the Capitol” is a legislative update from Minnesota Catholic Conference staff.
