Florida Catholic Conference

Public Policy Issues -2000 Legislative Session
(March 7 - May 5, 2000)
102nd Regular Session Since Statehood

Archdiocese of Miami
Diocese of St. Augustine
Diocese of St. Petersburg
Diocese of Orlando
Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee
Diocese of Palm Beach
Diocese of Venice

 

The Florida Catholic Conference supports respect for all human life, be it unborn, disabled, poor, alien or rejected; on death row or in a family of the victim of one on death row; well, sick or dying; young or old.  It advocates measures to strengthen families; improve the moral climate, and protect religious freedom. It supports legislation which relieves the burden of the poor, aged, and disabled; contributes to the reform of the criminal justice system; assures the rights of parents in the education of their children; addresses the needs of migrant farm workers and refugee families; and, provides for all children in need.

Appearing below are some of the major issues anticipated in the 2000 session.  Additional information on these issues may be obtained by contacting the Florida Catholic Conference or through its website.

LIFE AND DEATH

The United States Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, removed protection of law from the unborn and launched an unprecedented attack on mothers, children and families in this country. This nation witnessed a similar unjust decision from our nation’s highest court in the case of Dred Scot, which similarly deprived African-Americans of the protection of law. Just as that deplorable decision has been overcome, we call on government to overcome the current massive assault on vulnerable life by promoting laws and policies that protect human life and promote human dignity. As long as society accepts commercial destruction of the youngest and weakest, none are safe. The human family will make little progress dealing with capital punishment, poverty, euthanasia and other attacks on human life and dignity, if we allow the routine destruction of our youngest and most helpless sisters and brothers.

Abortion:     The Conference supports efforts to: enable a women to keep her child; facilitate adoption; inform women of the risks and alternatives to abortion; increase regulations in doctors’ offices and clinics which are now exempt from the safety standards of outpatient surgical centers and hospitals; reform the abortion reporting requirements to include monthly reporting

Partial-Birth Abortion Ban:    Florida’s unlimited and unregulated abortion industry has resulted in the exploitation of women disguised as liberty and privacy rights. Roe intentionally and explicitly left protection from the intentional killing of an unborn child in the process of being born. The Conference will continue efforts to ban this procedure which kills partially born infants.

Assisted Suicide:    The human dignity of elderly, disabled, chronically ill, infirm and dying patients, their right to care and the relief of pain must continue to be preserved in law. The Conference supports clarification of the definition of "terminal condition" found in Chapter 765, but opposes any attempt to change the current ban on "assisted self-murder" contained in Florida Law.

Death Penalty:    Society has a right and duty to defend itself against violent crime and a duty to reach out to victims of crime. The Conference supports the continued funding of assistance for victims of violence. As part of our commitment to life, we encourage solutions to violent crime that reflect the dignity of the human person, urging our state to abandon the use of capital punishment. We urge Florida to restore a fair use of clemency proceedings, and allow persons sentenced to death to have their sentences commuted to life imprisonment without consideration of parole.

Role of Juries:    The Conference finds that the death penalty falls disproportionately on the poor and minorities. Juries are the "conscience of the community." We support a jury recommendation of life without parole as binding on sentencing. We support legislation which requires jurors to be informed that "life without consideration of parole" is an alternative to capital punishment in Florida. We also support requiring a unanimous jury recommendation in the case of death sentences.

Banning the Execution of the Mentally Retarded:    As long as Florida administers the death penalty, the Conference will seek legislation that eliminates consideration of death sentences for mentally retarded persons, as defined in Chapter 393. Just as we do not hold children responsible for criminal acts as adults, we should not hold others to a standard beyond their mental capacity. The death penalty is the most extreme sentence available and, if we must have it, this punishment should be reserved for those with the highest degree of blame.

SOCIAL CONCERNS

The Conference supports the belief that all persons have certain basic economic rights and our society has a moral obligation to insure that, in so far as it is possible, no one among us is hungry, homeless, unemployed or otherwise denied whatever is necessary to live with dignity.

Welfare Reform:    The Conference is supportive of a just welfare reform initiative that preserves the family unit, empowers self-sufficiency and responsibility, protects the dignity of individuals and provides a safety net for children. We are opposed to rigid time limits, "family cap" and other punitive measures for having additional children while on welfare.

Adoption:    The Conference supports the rights and well-being of the triad: the child, birth parents and adoptive parents. We affirm the need for personal and legal counseling for birth and adoptive parents, support a reasonable time frame for consent and revocation during the adoption process, urge the establishment of a standard statewide credentialing certification for those who conduct social investigations (home studies), and recommend that a central repository be established to house all agency and intermediary records and reports. We are opposed to pre-birth agreements that place the birth parents in an obligatory position with agencies or intermediaries.

Farm Worker Justice:    Agricultural workers, as a group, are the poorest, and most economically and politically under-represented working people in the state. In return for their labor, workers have fundamental rights to a just wage and other benefits sufficient to sustain life and dignity. We support the rights of agricultural workers to safe working conditions, to receive adequate benefits for themselves and their families, and the right to freely organize. The Conference advocates for the state to commit significant resources to create a program that will use the maximum federal dollars available to create an increased number of new units of affordable housing for Florida’s farm workers each year.

Immigration:    The Conference opposes legislation that fosters discrimination or punitive measures against undocumented aliens or legal aliens and their families. We support the basic civil right of immigrants to marry without onerous requirements for documentation. Legal immigrants, in particular those who are the poor, elderly and disabled, should not be denied Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income Assistance. We advocate that immigrants, regardless of age, be afforded Food Stamp benefits. We fully support access to programs which provide education, health care and basic human needs for immigrants and their families.

Domestic Violence:    Violence against any person in any form, whether it be physical, verbal, sexual or psychological, is never justified or acceptable. The Conference supports policies providing a forum for education on domestic violence, as well as laws that protect the victims and that hold those responsible accountable for their crimes.

Affordable Housing:    The Conference supports full funding of the William E. Sadowski Affordable Housing Act and Trust Fund that serves low income, elderly and disabled individuals and families.

Homeless:    The Homeless Coalition and Emergency Financial Assistance Program (EFAP) serve as a lifeline for homeless children and families in the State of Florida. The Conference urges full funding and continuation of this program.

Environment:    The Conference supports policies to increase environmental awareness and preservation; policies to address critical environmental issues that may negatively impact our communities, children and families; and programs that educate the community about today’s environmental problems.

Children:    The Conference urges continued funding of services and programs for children. We support the expansion of child care slots that serve the working poor and enhanced funding of the Healthy Start program for women and infants. We oppose Healthy Start funds being directed to family planning or linked to other organizations.

Transportation for the Disadvantaged:    The Conference supports increased funding for transportation for Florida’s seniors, disabled and others in order to maintain their independence.

Budget:    The Conference supports a State budget that focuses on the critical needs of the poor, children, elderly and disabled. We strongly oppose radical cuts in essential services and programs that will negatively impact the poor and the vulnerable.

EDUCATION

The Conference, in continuing to support the public school system, advocates for public and private-school communities to serve as partners in the all important work of offering the best quality education to Florida’s children. When this happens, everyone benefits, especially children.

Parental Choice in Education:    As the first and foremost educators of their children, all parents should have the fundamental right to choose the schools they deem are best suited for their offspring. Parents should not be burdened financially for exercising this fundamental right, whether they choose public, private or parochial schools for their children. The Conference supports educational-choice legislation that assures equality of access; provides special consideration for the poor, guarantees transportation for those in need, respects the existing policies and regulations of participating nonpublic schools while not imposing burdensome new regulations that may undercut the mission of nonpublic schools.

Textbooks:    The Conference supports proposals to provide non-religious textbooks for private, parochial and other nonpublic school students. Supplying school books for children in nonpublic schools has been found to be constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court and has been adopted in seventeen states.

School Health Services:    The Conference supports quality health services for students, whether they are in public, private or parochial schools. These services should be provided at the district level to public school students, with these services extended to neighboring nonpublic school students. The Conference objects to the distribution of contraceptives and abortion referrals at school-based health clinics.

Human Sexuality:    The Conference supports courses in human sexuality that address ethical and moral dimensions; are not an expression of any one sectarian or secular philosophy; and respect the conscience of students and the rights of their parents. We support instructions in fertility awareness, fetal development and urge that abstinence be taught as the expected standard for school-age children.

Environmental Regulations:    New environmental policies dealing with such things as asbestos, radon, and lead in the drinking water are health and safety matters. Financial assistance to meet relevant regulations should be available to public and nonpublic schools on an equitable basis.

Post-Secondary Education:    The Conference supports participation by nonpublic school graduates in state-higher educational scholarship programs. Public policies in this area should provide for participation of public and nonpublic graduates on an equitable basis. We support increased funding of the Florida Resident Access Grant (FRAG) , and the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

HEALTH CARE

The Conference supports the expansion of coverage to as many people as possible, as health care is a basic right to which all are entitled. Reform of the health care system must be rooted in values that respect the essential dignity of each person, ensure that human life is protected, and recognize the unique needs of the poor. Ultimately, we support a comprehensive reform that will ensure a decent level of health care for all, especially those without the ability to pay for this service.

State Children’s Health Insurance Plan:     The Conference supports a comprehensive health insurance package for Florida’s children which includes a choice of insurance plans, statewide availability, replacing the local match, removing the age-based standards for eligibility, providing dental coverage, Medicaid screening/enrollment and affordable premiums for parents. Resources should be directed to provide benefits that children need, such as early and periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment for illnesses, injuries and disabilities which may otherwise limit their potential.

HIV/AIDS:    The continuing crisis of HIV/AIDS within our State requires policies that emphasize continuing research, routine voluntary testing, compassionate care, responsible education, effective support of persons with AIDS and their families, and respect for the dignity and rights of persons with AIDS.

Conscience Clauses:    The Conference supports conscience clauses that will protect the basic right of people to follow their religious or moral convictions. No individual should be required to counsel, advise, pay for, provide, perform, assist or participate directly or indirectly, in providing coverage for or performing health services that violate these convictions.

 

The Role of the Church

Beyond the responsibilities of every Catholic, the Church as an institution also has a role in the political order. This includes:

Our efforts in this area should not be misconstrued. The Church’s participation in public affairs does not undermine but enriches the political process and affirms genuine pluralism. The leaders of the Church have the right and duty to share the Church’s teachings and to educate Catholics on moral dimensions of public life, so they may form their consciences in light of their faith.

Faithful Citizenship – Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium - A Statement on Political Responsibility by the Administrative Board of the United States Catholic Bishops

FLORIDA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
313 S. Calhoun St.; Tallahassee, FL 32301-1807
Phone: (850) 222-3803, Fax: (850) 681-9548
Website: http://www.flacathconf.org
D. Michael McCarron, Ph.D.,Executive Director

The Florida Catholic Conference is an agency of the Catholic Bishops, established in 1969.  It speaks for the Church in matters of public policy, serves as liaison to government and the legislature, and coordinates communications and activities between the Church and secular agencies.  The Bishops of the seven dioceses in Florida constitute its Board of Directors.