Palm Beach Diocesan Council of Catholic Women at 6559 NW 32nd Av, Coconut Creek, FL 33073 US - "CATHOLIC DAYS" At The CAPITOL
| "CATHOLIC DAYS" At The CAPITOL |
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www.flacathconf.org Each year members of the Council of Catholic Women from around the state journey by bus to Tallahassee to participate in the Florida Catholic Conference's "Catholic Days at the Capitol". During this visit, attendees meet with legislators and attend the Red Mass, which signifies invoking the Holy Spirit on this year's legislative sessions. The Florida Catholic Conference presents a briefing on pending legislation affecting families, migrant workers,education, life and human dignity issues and other social concerns. Throughout the year, Legislative Alerts are sent to members for action in the form of letter writing, emails and phone calls to let the legislators know our stance on these vital issues. This is one of the ways the Palm Beach Diocesan Council of Catholic Women works to support Catholic Social Teachings.
In March 2008, over 65 of our members attended Capital Days along with other groups from our Diocese - the largest showing of any diocese in the State of Florida. The other groups included, Respect Life and Knights of Columbus. The participants attended legislative sessions and met with
legislators.
Click here to view picture w/ Bishop Barbarito and PBDCCW at Tallahassee 2008http://home.catholicweb.com/pbdccw/files/CDAC_PLB[1]march2008.pdf
52 members of our Palm Beach Diocese registered for the 2009 session, held on March 10th to 12th. Again it was hosted by the Florida Catholic Conference, an Agency of the Catholic Bishops of Florida. Those of us from Palm Beach Diocese stayed at the Quality Inn. On the bus with us were Monsignor Tom Skindelesai, Pastor of St. Vincent Ferrer, in Delra Beach, Fr. Joe Papes, Pastor of Sared Heart, in Lake Worth and Don Kasmir, Director of Respect for Life. Don was our tour director along with Kathleen Muller, PBDCCW Legislative Chair. Our first scheduled event was our Legislative briefing/Reception at 3:00 p.m.
This year we lobbied 18 representatives on four issues of major importance. We asked them to SUPPORT: SB1310. The program enables low income students to attend private schools using scholarships financed with corporate income tax credits. The program encourages private, voluntary contributions from corporate donors to nonprofit scholarship funding organizations.
We asked them to SUPPORT: SB1430.254. Children (age 15 or younger at the time of their crime) are serving adult sentences of 10 years or more in Florida's adult prisions. 49 are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole. Florida abolished parole for certain offenses in 1983 and eliminated all parole in 1995. This bill would bring back the POSSIBILITY of parole for inmates sentenced as children meeting specific eligibility requirements. Inmates sentenced as children who meet these criteria should have the opportunity to have their case reviewed by the Parole Commission for the possibility of parole.
We asked them to SUPPORT: SB1854. Under the current statutes, Chapter 390, the rules relating to the termination of pregnancies require an ultrasound for all patients who elect to have an abortion after the first trimester. The physician is required to estimate the gestational age of the fetus, record this information and retain the original prints of the ultrasound examination in the patien'ts medical history. As with any medical procedure, the patient should be given all the information necessary to make an informed decision. Requiring a woman to review the results of the ultrasound examination, unless she opts out, is important for the future physical and mental well being of a woman making this life altering decision.
We asked them to OPPOSE: SB220. While seeming to offer unobjectionalble sex education criteria, the bill undermines the existing abstinence standard for school aged children. It also fails to include discussion of monogamous marriage's benefits, fertility awareness and fetal development. The existing standard and abstinence programs contribute to this trend. Florida's abstinence standard needs to be strengthened, not underminded.
Some of the 52 'red coats' that attended this last March, 2009, in the Senate Chamber 
Join us in 2009, on March 10-11, as we will once again journey to the Capitol. The RED MASS will be celebrated 3/11/2009 at the Co Cathedral of St Thomas More, Tallahassee. The Council of Catholic Women has the strongest women's voice in the State of Florida. Be sure to have yours heard!
For more information Contact Kathleen Muller, CCW Diocesan Legislation Chair via the LINKS page on this website, or go to:
www.flacathconf.org