NEW JERSEY CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
LEGISLATIVE
AGENDA 2006 - 2007
[Children
& Families] [Economy
& Employment] [Education]
[Health Care]
[Housing & Homelessness]
[Human Life] [Social
Justice]
The New Jersey Catholic Conference, composed of the Catholic Bishops of New Jersey, is one of the means by which the Bishops address matters of public policy. The Bishops receive recommendations concerning these issues from a Public Policy Committee comprised of members from each diocese and from various areas of the Church's ministry, such as social services, education and health care.
The Conference staff interacts with the state and federal governments, monitors matters of concern to the Catholic Church in New Jersey, and advocates for the Catholic Church’s position in these matters. The Conference works with other religious entities as well as civic, private sector, and non-profit organizations on matters of concern to the general welfare of the state’s citizens.
Because a fundamental tenet
of Catholic social teaching is that each human life is sacred, particular
emphasis must be placed on the dignity and rights of the family and its
members. This truth is the basic principle by which all of the actions of
government must be judged. Therefore, we support those legislative and policy
efforts which support and enhance life. Our special concern for those who are
vulnerable because they are unborn, young, old, disabled, poor, hungry,
homeless, or ill is rooted in the Scriptural message which calls us to speak on
their behalf and to alleviate their pain, suffering, and anxiety by direct
action.
The sanctity of human life, which begins at conception, is the gift of a loving God. We support the right to life of unborn children because they are fully human. We support legislation which bans partial-birth abortions and oppose any “health” exception amendment. We oppose in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination because children have the right to be born from the loving union of a mother and a father. We oppose experimentation on, and utilization of, unborn children, their tissues, and embryonic stem cells obtained from induced abortions. We believe that society by its laws should protect human life at every stage of its existence and support a constitutional amendment which gives the Legislature the right to regulate and restrict all forms of abortion and its funding. Consistent with our view of human life, we oppose "right to die" legislation which would lead to the legalization of suicide or euthanasia. Also, we oppose the death penalty and any law which would facilitate the imposition of the death penalty. We support legislation which vindicates the rights of unborn children who are killed or injured outside the context of abortion.
When the family unit functions well, all of society benefits. Children are among the most vulnerable members of the family. As we seek to help children, we must support families, because children's lives are nurtured or neglected, enhanced or diminished, by the quality of family life and because the family is the primary, indispensable, and essential unit of society. Therefore, we support policies that maintain and promote marriage and strengthen the family. We oppose same sex unions and domestic partnership legislation. We support full funding and reforms for child protection. We support needed expansion of child care, but only when safety and quality are assured. We support parental notification of abortion for minors and programs to prevent abuse of persons of all ages.
Poverty is a lack of financial resources, but it also entails a more profound kind of deprivation, a denial of full participation in the economic, social, and political life of society and an inability to influence decisions that affect one’s life. Poverty assaults fundamental human dignity. Therefore, we seek solutions that enable the poor to help themselves through education, training, and employment. Participation in the life of society is the key to justice for the poor. We also believe that society has a responsibility to help those who cannot care for themselves, and it is for this reason that families and children in need should be guaranteed assistance.
Because racism is an evil that dehumanizes our society, we support efforts to dispel all forms of racism. We applaud the courage and perseverance of immigrants and their contributions to New Jersey's economy and culture. We oppose denial of public benefits to immigrants or their children who are in need of assistance.
Health care is a basic human right. We support health care reform which guarantees universal access to comprehensive quality care, equitable financing and genuine respect for the dignity of human life from conception to natural death. Special priority should be given to fully funding the health care needs of the poor, the immigrant, and the severely and chronically mentally ill. We support expansion of subsidized health insurance for children and the working poor. Adequate funding for charity care must be assured. Health care policy must ensure respect for the religious and ethical values of consumers and individual and institutional providers. We oppose inclusion of abortion in standard health care benefits packages. We support care to pregnant women and their unborn children as fully as care for those who are terminally ill, disabled, or elderly. While we support a continuum of services for people with HIV/AIDS and their families, we reject decriminalization of the sale of hypodermic needles and government funding of needle exchange programs. Counseling in prevention of and treatment programs for substance abuse and other addictive behavior, teenage pregnancy, and suicide are necessary components of any health care system. While we support health services to students in schools, we oppose the distribution of contraceptives in school-based clinics or the referral to other agencies for abortion or contraception.
The health and well being of people, especially children and the elderly, is
intrinsically linked to the quality of our land, air, and water. For example,
the impact of toxins in our environment is connected to rising rates of cancer,
asthma and other respiratory diseases in our state. We believe we have a moral
responsibility to care for God’s creation.
The
growing wage gap between high skill and low skill jobs contributes to the
economic disparities between workers who are prospering and those who are
struggling or left behind. One of the current issues in our economy is the rise
of part-time and temporary employment and jobs with low wages and few, if any,
benefits such as health insurance. We believe the economy should serve people
and not the reverse. Therefore, we endorse the right to jobs and just and
living wages and the right to organize as defined in Catholic social teaching.
We support programs such as job training and adult literacy that help low income
workers move into jobs with wages and benefits that enable their families to
live in dignity. We support non-discrimination laws and protection for
migrant and sweatshop workers.
Quality education in all schools is a goal we affirm by our support for full funding of all state aid programs for public and nonpublic schools, including those intended for compensatory education, aid for students with disabilities, and nursing services. In order to reinforce the fundamental rights of parents, we support government initiatives to fund the education of children in schools of their parents' choice, including such models as tuition tax credits, education tax savings accounts, and vouchers.
We affirm the right of all students to be secure in their school environment. We support financial assistance from the government to maintain all school buildings as hazard free, so that the economic burden of complying with safe schools regulations will not erode the financial base of nonpublic schools. We recognize the necessity for a school transportation system responsive to the needs of all students. State appropriations for nonpublic school transportation should provide greater availability, more efficient service, and expansion of current mileage limits.
We emphasize the importance of providing opportunities for all students to participate in state technology initiatives. We oppose legislation which discriminates against any student for reasons of religion, special needs, or school attended, and we seek the enactment of legislation inclusive of all students. We urge removal of all barriers that homeless children face in gaining access to an adequate education.
In all
schools, we recognize the value of the teaching of authentic family life
education which prepares children for their role as parents and which honors the
dignity of the individual from conception to natural death. Additionally, we
support family life education that emphasizes an abstinence-based curriculum.
Housing is a basic human right. The lack of affordable housing is especially pressing in this state which is the most expensive in which to live. Consequently, the path to end homelessness leads us to support development of housing, especially rental units, affordable to low and moderate income persons. We also support increased funding for rental assistance, transitional housing, and emergency shelters for the homeless, with accompanying social services. All sectors of society must do more to meet our common responsibility for housing, including group homes for children and persons with developmental disabilities and mental illness.
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The New Jersey Catholic Conference calls upon public officials to address these issues which affect the common good of all people. The response to this call must be grounded in the recognition of each individual's dignity and in the protection of all human life.