The New Jersey Catholic Conference (NJCC) is calling on Catholics and all people of good will to urge their state elected officials to vote “no” on S49/A6260, legislation which effectively serves as a replacement to the Reproductive Freedom Act (RFA). The RFA was a controversial bill introduced in October 2020 that would have expanded abortion services in New Jersey to include late-term abortions, state-funding for abortions, mandating health insurance coverage for abortion services, and allowing for non-physician medical providers to perform abortions, all of which the NJCC vigorously opposed.
As Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, I encourage all our Catholic clergy, religious and lay faithful to sign a petition to protect congressional legislative provisions in support of life...
The Catholic Church believes and teaches that all human life is sacred from conception to natural death. For that reason, we, the Bishops of each of the dioceses in New Jersey, join in voicing the strongest possible opposition to the “Reproductive Freedom Act.”
Today, the Bishops of NJ and I learned that the House Democrats released The Heroes Act, H.R. 6800, the fourth phase of economic stimulus relief or CARES 4.
State residents are being urged to contact their state senators in opposition to a bill that would force Catholic organizations such as schools, dioceses and social service agencies to offer employees health benefits that violate fundamental Catholic principles.
The House Democrat Majority refuses to allow a vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, or even an official hearing where Congress could learn the facts. So, the House Republican minority hosted a hearing to draw attention to why the Born-Alive Act is needed + why it deserves a vote!
S3804/A5508 is part of a package of bills that the Governor and the legislature are supporting to create a New Jersey version of the federal Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act of 2010
This Friday, May 17, the U.S. House will vote on H.R. 5, the misnamed “Equality Act.” This bill would undermine current pro-life laws, including conscience protections for health care providers, and could be read to require taxpayer funding of abortion. H.R. 5 adds problematic “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” language to the definition of “sex” in the Civil Rights Act, threatening religious freedom, privacy, free speech, quality health care, and many charitable organizations.
The New Jersey Catholic Conference and the New Jersey Network of Catholic School Families are asking for the following specific increases in the Fiscal Year 2020 Education Budget. Call, email, or speak directly with legislators regarding these requests.
Two bills awaiting Gov. Phil Murphy approval promise to help the homeless in New Jersey. The first bill (S-3586) would expand emergency assistance (housing aid) for people who face an imminent threat of homelessness. Under current law, emergency assistance is only available for 12 to 18 months once in a person’s lifetime. This bill would allow those who need it to re-apply for emergency assistance if seven years have passed since their last application. The assistance would include food and clothing, temporary rental assistance or mortgage payments to keep people housed, and utility payments, if needed. The second bill (S-3585) would...
Faithful called to encourage good stewardship of God's creation as new rule is proposed by the EPA. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a new rule that deems it no longer “appropriate and necessary” to regulate mercury and other hazardous air pollutants emitted by power plants. Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, Chairman of the U.S. Bishops Committee on Pro-Life Activities, expressed concern about the potential risks to human life and environmental health.
On Monday, March 25, A1504/S1072, the Aid in Dying bill will be voted on in both the Senate and the Assembly. This assisted suicide bill is a direct threat to anyone viewed as a cost liability to an insurance company. In an era of cost control and managed care, patients with lingering illnesses may be branded as an economic liability, and decisions to encourage death could be driven by cost.
Governor Murphy will deliver his Budget Message to the Legislature on March 5, 2019. We are asking for level funding in the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget in order to retain the current level of funds, including the $1,000 per-pupil funding for nonpublic school transportation. We would also like the to secure the $150.00 per pupil for nonpublic school security which was provided in P.L. 2018, c.168, which was signed by Governor Murphy on January 8, 2019.
The New Jersey Catholic Conference and the New Jersey Network of Catholic School Families invites you to take action regarding funding for nonpublic school transportation, security, technology and nursing.
The following is an Action Alert from the New Jersey Catholic Conference: The BRIDGE (Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy) Act, S.128/H.R. 496, was recently introduced in Congress as a bipartisan effort to sustain the temporary relief from deportation and employment eligibility offered to youth through the Department of Homeland Security’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
The following is an op-ed submitted by Daniel F. Steinmetz Jr., Gloucester Township, N.J.: Largely off the media radar is an ever-growing, serious, and unnecessary transportation problem for many New Jersey Catholic schools. For decades, New Jersey law, N.J.S.A. 18A: 39-19(a), has mandated the State to cover the costs of transporting eligible nonpublic school students to and from school.
The following is an Action Alert from the NJ Catholic Conference: Nonpublic school transportation continues to be hampered by a number of problems which emphasize difficulties nonpublic school parents face in attempting to get safe rides to school for their children. Namely, the State has not increased the ceiling for nonpublic school transportation funding since the 2007-08 school year. There is a fact sheet below that explains the problem in greater detail.