Be informed

Yesterday, the Star Tribune ran an overview of some of the issues Minnesota legislators will be facing this session. It listed abortion, the budget, heath care, bonding, energy, illegal immigration, the outdoors amendment and transportation. Glancing over the agendas put forth by the Minnesota Catholic Conference and Catholic Charities’ Office for Social Justice, there’s a lot of overlap — abortion, health care, immigration, the environment.

MCC might take special interest in the energy debate — in 2006, Archbishop Flynn presented a letter signed by 30 religious leaders to Senator Norm Coleman which stated that global warming is a religious issue and called for energy policies guaranteeing the decrease of “global warming emissions.” Last year, he spoke to the MN legislature on the issue.

I have to admit, the number and complexity of the legislative issues that matter to the church can seem daunting. How does a person figure out what’s even going on, much less know how a solution should be sought?

Here’s a suggestion:

The Office for Social Justice will be sharing its legislative agenda at four briefings around the Twin Cities starting in two weeks. They’ll be addressing affordable housing, immigration, health care, criminal justice, child care and MFIP and global warming.

(FYI, “MFIP” is the Minnesota Family Investment Program, which is the state’s welfare program for low-income families with children.)

I went to a briefing last year, and it was fascinating. Patrick Ness, the public policy manager for OSJ, has a knack for explaining the issues without using too much jargon. So, if you go, you’ll learn something important whether you’re just curious but green or this is old-hat.

The briefings will start at 7 p.m. and last until 9. The schedule is:

Feb. 28
Guardian Angels Church
8260 Hudson Blvd N
Oakdale, MN 55128
(651) 738-2223
www.guardian-angels.org

March 3
St. William Church
6120 5th St. NE
Fridley, MN 55432
(763) 571-5600
www.stwilliams.com

March 6
Christ the King
5029 Zenith Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55410
(612) 920-5030
www.ctkmpls.org

March 11
Faithful Shepherd Catholic School
(Sponsored by St. John Neumann)
2244 Columbia Dr.
Eagan, MN 55121
(651) 406-4747
www.fscsm.org