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Beginning June 22, the Feast of Saints Thomas More and John Fisher, the U.S. Catholic Church celebrates Religious Freedom Week. The annual celebration concludes on June 29, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. Join us in promoting religious freedom "For the Good of All," which has been selected as this year's theme.

The U.S. Bishops, "...unequivocally state that racism is a life issue" (Open Wide Our Hearts, 2018). Tragically, the murder of George Floyd and so many other people of color like him shakes all of us into confronting that the dehumanization of black and brown people continues today.

Pope Francis has called for parishes to be "islands of mercy in the midst of a sea of indifference." In response to this call, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recently launched Walking With Moms in Need: A Year of Service. This nationwide effort envisions that parish communities increase outreach to pregnant and parenting moms in need. 

As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord on March 25, we also mark the 25th anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II's encyclical, Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life). This prophetic document on the value and inviolability of every human life remains an indispensable source of truth. It reaffirms the "greatness and the inestimable value of human life" (EV 2) and addresses present-day legal, ethical, and moral threats to life, including abortion, artificial reproduction techniques, contraception, the death penalty, euthanasia, sterilization, and suicide. 

On Thursday, March 5, the full Senate unanimously passed SB 994 (Passidomo). The bill strengthens protections for vulnerable elderly persons with court appointed guardians by improving guardianship laws with respect to conflict of interest, compensation and appointment of guardians. Additionally, the bill requires that guardians may not consent to or authorize do-not-resuscitate orders for their wards without court approval. The House companion, HB 709 (Burton), is on the House Calendar on second reading. The FCCB supported this measure as it moved through the committee process in both chambers.

HB 1059 (Grall) would designate the "Parents' Bill of Rights", bringing together in a single statute the various parental rights that currently exist in law. The bill would highlight the role of parents by clearly outlining the rights parents have in the upbringing, education and care of their children. The bill is poised for a vote of the full House on Monday, March 9.

HB 1217 (Beltran) authorizes hospitals, emergency medical service stations, and fire stations that are staffed 24 hours a day to install newborn safety devices or "baby boxes" to accept surrendered newborn infants. Florida's existing safe haven law allows parents who are unwilling or unable to care for their newborn children to anonymously surrender their infants and grants the parents immunity from criminal prosecution. HB 1217 increases the age that an infant may be surrendered from seven days to 30 days old.

On February 26, the FCCB joined lawmakers and parents at a press conference at the state Capitol to encourage passage of HB 1059 (Grall) and SB 1634 (Stargel). These bills would designate the "Parents' Bill of Rights", bringing together in a single statute the various parental rights that currently exist in law. The bill would highlight the role of parents by clearly outlining the rights parents have in the upbringing, education and care of their children. Several legislators spoke on the importance of these bills including the bill sponsors. Representative Erin Grall addressed the value of parental rights in a child's life and believes this is a fight for all families in Florida. Senator Stargel stressed the responsibility of legislators to protect the rights of parents in Florida.

Legislation that strengthens protections for vulnerable elderly persons who receive court appointed guardians was passed unanimously by first committees of reference in both the House and the Senate. SB 994 (Passidomo) and HB 709 (Burton) make a number of changes to improve guardianship laws in the state with respect to conflict of interest, compensation and appointment of guardians. Additionally, the bills require that guardians may not consent to or authorize do-not-resuscitate orders for their wards without court approval. The FCCB indicated its support for the measure at both committee meetings.

The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee passed (5-2) a bill that would create a new statewide consumer-loan program that could charge interest rates as high as 36 percent on small-dollar loans. Florida statutes consider interest rates beyond 18 percent to be usurious. However, consumer finance loans (installment loans largely accessed by individuals with limited access to capital and traditional financial services) are allowed to charge up to 30 percent under current Florida law.

Members of the Sadowski Coalition - representing a diverse group of organizations including: advocates for elderly, veteran, homeless and special needs populations; faith-based organizations; and business associations - gathered at the Capitol to urge the Florida Legislature to use affordable housing trust fund monies as intended.

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (22:39). Unfortunately, society has drifted away from this commandment, and hate has been spewed and acted out in many ways, most recently and notably in the mass shooting that occurred last weekend in El Paso, Texas. Racism and xenophobia are evident in the motive behind this and other mass shootings in recent years.

Religious Freedom Week 2019: Strength in Hope takes place from June 22 to 29. The week began with the feast day of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher, includes the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and ends with the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

For the first time in many years, full funding of the Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund was included in a governor's proposed budget. Governor DeSantis' budget, which outlines potential spending for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2019, does not recommend any sweeps of state and local housing trust funds. Legislators have historically raided the pool, which was established to provide funding for construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing, down-payment support, emergency repairs, and limited rental development to assist the disabled, elderly, veterans, disaster victims, and others in need of housing assistance.

The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops is deeply encouraged by the signal Governor DeSantis broadcast to the people of Florida and to the Florida Legislature by presenting a budget that uses every penny of Sadowski State and Local Housing Trust Fund money solely for housing.  The Florida Catholic Conference was one of the eleven founding members of the Sadowski Coalition back in 1992 when the William E. Sadowski Act was enacted.  We are now one of over 30 statewide organizations that comprise the Sadowski Coalition.

On March 19, Governor Rick Scott signed SB 920 into law. The measure allows a new product for payday loans up to $1000 that will cost consumers more in fees and interest payments than the current payday products. It also allows loans to be made at triple-digit annual percentage rates. Most comparable loans are capped at 30 percent.

The Florida legislature has acted quickly to address gun policy and school safety in the wake of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. HB 7101 and SB 7026 both contain key changes that improve state law and help to ensure that a tragedy such as the one that occurred in Parkland on February 14 never occurs again. Key provisions of the bills include:

Ingrid Delgado, FCCB associate for social concerns/respect life At a press conference organized by consumer advocates, Ingrid Delgado, FCCB associate for social concerns/respect life, spoke in opposition to bills that further the practice of usury among predatory lenders. Exploiting people who live in poverty is theft and usurious practices are the equivalent of indirect homicide. (Catechism, nos. 2409 & 2269)

A week after the deadly mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, several thousand people rallied outside the Capitol in Tallahassee on Wednesday, February 21. Survivors, families, local students and gun-control advocates called on state lawmakers to enact stricter gun laws. On the same day, about 100 students from Parkland met in person with legislators and state leaders, including Governor Rick Scott, House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Senate President Joe Negron, to press for immediate action on gun reform and school-safety measures to prevent another tragedy.

Both HB 857 (Grant, J.) and companion measure, SB 920 (Bradley), were found favorable by committees of reference this week. These bills further the practice of usury among predatory lenders in Florida, allowing loans to be made at triple-digit rates when calculated on an annual basis. All other comparable loans are capped at 30%. During the committee hearings, FCCB Associate for Social Concerns/Respect Life Ingrid Delgado testified in opposition to both the House and Senate proposals.