"We need profound change, a conversion that demilitarizes hearts, that would allow everyone to recognize the other as a brother or sister." - Pope Francis
California Catholic Conference (CCC) Executive Director Kathleen Domingo released the following statement regarding amendments to Assemblymember Buffy Wicks’ Assembly Bill (AB) 2223:
"Today, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks’ AB 2223, which came to be known as the ‘infanticide bill,’ was amended in the Assembly Appropriations Committee to confirm that a woman will not be investigated or charged for experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion, or ‘perinatal death due to causes that occurred in utero.’
"This change definitely closes the door on potential unintended consequences of permitting infant deaths due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment, alleviating the concerns that the CCC brought to the author’s attention.
"The State of California Health and Safety Code already states that a baby born alive after a failed abortion needs to be provided the same care of another infant of a similar age, and the Code also maintains protections against fetal homicide.
"The California Catholic Conference is grateful to the Assembly Appropriations Committee, and to Assemblymember Wicks and her staff for working with us to clarify and narrow the bill language. The CCC will be removing its opposition to AB 2223 and will remain neutral on the bill."
Governor Newsom revealed his record-breaking $300.7 billion May Budget Revise last week, which included a whopping $97.5 billion surplus, well above the projected $76 billion projected in January and a result of taxes on income gains among California’s wealthiest residents.
By law, half of the surplus amount must be spent on education, which will reach a record of $128 billion for K-12 schools in the state when combined with other education spending. The governor plans to use the remainder on one-time expenditures, including $18.1 billion for inflation relief, $37 billion for infrastructure, $5.6 billion for education facility upgrades, $2.7 billion for rental assistance, an additional $2.3 billion for the ongoing fight against COVID-19, and $30 million to establish a pilot program to provide victim services across California.
As reported last week, Newsom’s general budget items include $125 million in funding for abortion services, a direct response to the leak of the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision in Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women Health Organization.
Other spending includes an additional $1.2 billion over two years to continue to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires and $100 million to fund the governor’s proposed Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court system, which would establish mental health courts and authorize judges to provide treatment plans to provide behavioral health care, stabilization medication, and housing support to adults suffering from severe untreated mental illness.
The legislature now has until June 15 to pass a budget bill for Newsom to sign.
The California Catholic Conference and other faith leaders throughout the state are actively supporting SB 300, which aims to make a modest reform to California’s felony-murder special circumstance law to ensure that the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole cannot be imposed on people who did not cause or intend a death.
SB 300 will restore to judges the ability to impose a parole-eligible sentence of 25-years-to-life, rather than death or life without parole, when they determine that it would best serve the interest of justice in a case where a special circumstance has been charged.
In 2009, Anthony Vigeant was sentenced to die in prison at 22. Anthony was 20 years old and a clerk in the US Marine Corps when he was involved in a tragic incident where a fellow Marine, a young Iraq war veteran suffering an episode of PTSD, shot and killed a person while retrieving Anthony’s laptop computer. Even though he did not harm or intend to harm anyone, Anthony was charged as an accomplice under the felony-murder special circumstances law and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
SB 300 addresses California’s felony-murder special circumstances law, which has decimated families and communities, particularly those of color, across our state. It has caused our most impoverished and vulnerable community members emotional and financial ruin, hopelessness, and despair.
Please look for upcoming alerts supporting SB 300 to help rectify this law.
This week, the California Catholic Conference hosted webinars in English and Spanish discussing the upcoming Supreme Court decision in the Dobbs case and what it all means for Californians.
If you couldn’t see the live webinars, you can view the recordings here.
The Diocese of San Diego, in collaboration with the National Center for Restorative Justice and the University of San Diego Center for Restorative Justice, is hosting Restoring Humanity: A Speaker Series on Restorative Reintegration on Saturday, June 11th, 2022, from 2pm to 4pm PDT.
The live-streamed event features seven formerly incarcerated men and women who have successfully reintegrated back into our communities. The event is free to anyone who would like to listen and experience the stories of these courageous and resilient souls as they tell their life stories from incarceration to freedom.
You can learn more or register here. A recording will be available following the event.
The June Primary Election is June 7, and ballots have been delivered to homes throughout the state. With less than three weeks to go, it is essential that you ensure you are registered or register to vote and engage on the candidates and issues to form a conscience to vote.
The California Catholic Conference has extensive FAQs and parish resources to help inform your vote, such as:
Practical guidance on registering to vote.
Instruction on political advocacy for use by Catholic clergy and parishioners.
Where to find resources and information to assist individuals in voting according to the teachings of the Church.
WASHINGTON - In response to the shootings in Buffalo, NY, and Laguna Woods, CA, last weekend, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offered the following statement from its spokesperson, Chieko Noguchi, director of public affairs.
“The U.S. bishops join with others throughout the country in offering prayers for the support and healing of the families, friends, and communities of those impacted by these violent incidents. We pray especially for those who were injured and particularly for those who lost their lives. We pray also for those on the front lines who risk their lives in responding to the calls for help, and to those in the medical fields who minister to those who have been harmed.
“The bishops again call for an honest dialogue rooted in Christ in addressing the persistent evil of racism in our country. The Catholic Church has been a consistent voice for rational yet effective forms of regulation of dangerous weapons, and the USCCB continues to advocate for an end to violence, and for the respect and dignity of all lives.
“We pray for and support the healing of the communities impacted and for all the victims of violence and that Christ’s peace be upon all affected.”
May 20, 2022 | Vol. 15, No. 17 | En Español
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