Catholics gear up to press agenda

Catholics throughout New York State who want to speak out to state lawmakers are marking their calendars for March 10.

At the annual Public Policy Forum that day, about 1,000 Catholics and bishops from across the state will sit down with legislators to discuss seven targeted objectives: banning partial-birth abortion, enacting investment tax credits for schools, creating public/private job partnerships to aid the poor, preserving Catholic health care, banning physician-assisted suicide, ensuring essential services for the poor and ill, and opposing casino gambling.

The forum is sponsored by the New York State Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state's bishops.

According to Kathleen Gallagher, associate director of the Conference, the lawmakers look forward to the event each year.

"They expect us," she told The Evangelist. "Especially, Catholic legislators are very grateful that the Church takes the time to talk about the moral implications of public policy."

This year's forum will include several workshops, one specifically for youth and others exploring the targeted issues and discussing strategies to use with lawmakers. Later, participants will meet face-to-face with state legislators.

Bishop John McGann of the Rockville Centre Diocese will be the main celebrant at a special liturgy to be followed by the presentation of a Public Policy award to Assemblyman Eric Vitaliano (D-Staten Island), who is being recognized for his commitment to pro-life issues.

In December 1996, said Mrs. Gallagher, Assemblyman Vitaliano offered a hostile amendment on the floor of the State Assembly to force a vote on the partial-birth abortion ban. Although it ultimately failed, the effort caused a debate on the ban in the Assembly "which we had never had before on that issue," Mrs. Gallagher said.

Objectives

Participants in the forum plan to make several points in regard to the targeted objectives, Mrs. Gallagher said:

* In regard to partial-birth abortion, Catholics simply hope to communicate that "it's a practice that's still going on in New York State, and it's got to be stopped." Although a bill banning the procedure has been passed twice by the state Senate, it has reached the floor of the Assembly only once. "We're going to put significant pressure on the Assembly to get it to the floor," she said.

* Education investment tax credits would provide an incentive to encourage individuals and corporations to make donations to public and nonpublic schools and programs. "This is very different from vouchers," Mrs. Gallagher noted.

* The 60-month lifetime limit on welfare benefits means that the state must prepare to transition welfare recipients to work. "When that clock runs out, what's going to happen to these people if there are no jobs available?" asked Mrs. Gallagher. Forum participants will suggest that the state create a public-private job development initiative, developing job programs to "make sure there are enough jobs out there for low-income, unskilled people."

* An issue of critical importance for the forum is the preservation of Catholic health care. While many Catholic healthcare providers will give patients lists of providers who offer services that the Catholic facility may not, Mrs. Gallagher stated that "Catholic health care is under incredible attack. There are organizations and businesses that want to force the Catholic Church out of the healthcare marketplace because we don't provide certain things like abortion."

Bills have even been proposed to deny operating licenses to Catholic institutions that do not provide abortions, vasectomies, infertility treatments and other procedures, she said -- even when a Catholic hospital is the only facility available to serve the poor. The forum will take the stance that Catholic health care must be preserved without violating its ethical principles.

* Physician-assisted suicide is "not expected to be a hotly debated legislative issue this year in New York State," said Mrs. Gallagher. "However, we want to keep it in the forefront to keep the education going" and maintain the current ban on the practice.

* In 1995, funding for protective, preventive and foster care services was melded into a single block grant and reduced by $185 million, seriously under-funding necessary services. The forum hopes to end the Family and Children's Services block grant, showing that "this isn't a good idea. It's hurting the abused and neglected children we're trying to help."

* Finally, forum participants will oppose the introduction of legislation to allow casino gambling in New York State on the grounds that it increases crime, compulsive gambling and gambling by the poor, who can ill afford it. Although a prior measure was defeated, Mrs. Gallagher said that some legislators voted against it only because it did not provide for casinos in their own areas, and a new bill could be passed. "We want to be vigilant," she stated. "We want to be on guard."

One-on-one

One strategy that will be used during the forum by at least two Dioceses is seating forum participants with their own legislators for lunch. If the lawmakers attend the luncheon, said Mrs. Gallagher, it will provide a chance for them to speak with their constituents informally; if not, it will give participants the chance to "role-play" their strategies for the formal afternoon meetings with legislators.

Mrs. Gallagher remarked that she is encouraged by the number of new people attending the forum each year.

"The Dioceses are working on expanding their public policy networks -- in numbers, there is strength," she said. "We're educating Catholics to the need for their responsibility to be involved in this. Once the average parishioner comes up to the forum, they get excited about it, and they want to keep it up at home."

(On Feb. 26 at 7 p.m., a review of the targeted objectives will be held at St. Vincent de Paul parish in Albany to prepare forum participants. To register, call 453-6650. The Public Policy Forum will be held on March 10 at the Empire State Plaza in Albany; all participants are selected and invited through diocesan coordinators. For information, call the Catholic Conference at 434-6195.)

(02-19-98) [[In-content Ad]]