More than in years past, the Diocese of Little Rock is monitoring several bills before the Arkansas General Assembly and taking a wait-and-see approach.
Nine registered lobbyists for the Church in Arkansas are supporting or opposing several pieces of legislation but are also “tracking” other bills to see if their lobbying is needed.
Sister Mary Lou Stubbs, DC, the new director of Catholic Charities of Arkansas, and Tom Navin, director of the Office for Social Action and Prison Ministry, are overseeing diocesan efforts in several key areas, including abortion, immigration, taxes, adoption, nonprofit bingo and raffles and health care.
Other lobbyists for the diocese include Dennis Lee, chancellor for administrative affairs; Deacon Bo McAllister, chancellor for canonical affairs; Sister Joan Pytlik, DC, director of the Hurricane Recovery Office; Karen DiPippa, director of the Westside Free Medical Clinic; Maryanne Linane, respect life director; Pat Houlihan, director of Catholic Immigration Services in Little Rock; and Antje Harris, director of Catholic Adoption Services.
A lot of talk early in the legislative session was about reducing the state sales tax on groceries. Reducing the tax on groceries from 6 percent to 3 percent was a campaign promise from Gov. Mike Beebe last year. On Feb. 15 the governor signed the bill into law. It will take effect July 1.
The diocese supported the bill, but did not spend much lobbying time on it because it was overwhelmingly supported by the governor, representatives and senators, Navin said.
Other tax bills they are following include:
Senate Bill 77: reducing the state income tax by 3 percent for 2007 and 2008. The diocese is opposing it because the tax cut would require a reduction in state programs.
House Bill 1033: creating a child-care income tax credit. The diocese is supporting it because it would help working poor families.
Senate Bill 83: establishing a tax-free day for back-to-school purchases on the first Saturday in August. The diocese also is supporting this bill to support poor families.
House Bill 1337: providing a $75 income tax credit to each poor taxpayer and each of their children.
Navin and Sister Mary Lou said they are supportive of this bill but would have preferred a bill be introduced to create a state Earned Income Tax Credit.
“Studies have shown that the EITC money is the greatest majority of the time … (going to) a pretty responsible person,” Sister Mary Lou said. “Overwhelmingly the funding is used for something substantial — finishing education, getting a car to go to work … It is not squandered. These are the working poor.”
Another issue diocesan lobbyists are interested in is the elimination of “unlawful consumer loans,” known as payday loans, which is addressed in House Bill 1036.
“It is very unjust to the users, who are mainly the elderly and the poor,” Navin said.
Abortion
An early victory for the pro-life movement was the rejection of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In at least two other states, a similar ERA has been used to advocate for state funding for abortions. The ERA, which was approved by Congress in 1972, didn’t make it out of the House committee.
On Feb. 7. Linane represented the diocese at the committee hearing to oppose the ERA. While the amendment didn’t pass out of committee, she said its supporters want to reintroduce it later in the session.
Linane said a bill is currently being written to stop coerced abortions, which happens frequently to women who are forced to have an abortion by a family member or friend. The diocese would support the bill, she said.
A likely bill that Linane is concerned about deals with dispensing the morning-after pill in hospitals and clinics. She said the diocese doesn’t want Catholic hospitals and clinics to be part of the mandate.
Adoption
Harris has been working with various adoption professionals on House Bill 1485. The Revised Uniform Adoption Act and the Streamline Adoption Act would speed up the process for an adoptive family to get their child’s amended birth certificate after they have been to court for their adoption. It would also help them to get a social security number and file for the federal Adoption Tax Credit in a timely manner. The bill would also clarify a potential father’s rights to his child and would expedite the hearing process when a putative father contests an adoption.
Bingo and raffles
Lee said the diocese remained neutral about the amendment to allow charitable bingo and raffles that passed in November and will continue to remain neutral as the legislators try to figure how to enact the legislation.
A bill regulating the games will likely pass this session and take effect July 1. He said Catholic churches will not be able to host bingo games and raffles until the state can agree on how to tax the games.
“If it’s reasonable and there are no problems with the Catholic Church being able to comply with it, it’s fine,” Lee said.
Health care
On the health front, the diocese supported House Bill 1282, which extended civil immunity to dentists and other health care professionals who volunteer at charitable clinics. The act is awaiting the governor’s signature, DiPippa said.
The diocese is currently supporting Senate Bill 93, a bill that mandates health insurance coverage for autism and related disorders. Currently private insurance does not cover the conditions or the intense rehabilitation needed. Another issue concerning autism is a funding proposal that will be filed at the end of the legislative session. The Community Services Oversight Council has requested funding to cover autistic children on waiting lists for specialized service coverage. Currently 800 children are on the waiting list.
Homelessness
Sister Mary Lou is working with the Arkansas Coalition for the Homeless to drum up support for House Bill 1439, which would create a task force to study homelessness in the state.
“Anything to help the homeless we are going to do,” Navin said.
Sister Mary Lou said homelessness is even more important to address since Hurricane Katrina.
“With the Katrina evacuees, many of them were homeless or virtually homeless in New Orleans, so we are going to have an increase in chronic homelessness in our state,” she said. “What we can do is some logical interventions to help people stabilize.”
Immigration
The diocese was expecting to have to oppose several anti-immigrant bills this session, but so far things are quiet. In 2005 former Catholic Charities director Sheila Gomez spent many hours lobbying against immigration bills that were against Catholic social teaching. No bills introduced so far look likely to pass.
When choosing which bills to support, oppose or monitor, Navin said Catholic Charities follows six criteria, including “Is there a clear moral dimension?” “Can we make a difference on this issue?” and “Is there Catholic social teaching on the subject?”
Sister Mary Lou said the diocese could choose to support or oppose a bill through “direct lobbying” to legislators or getting “grassroots support.” They often will ask pastors and parishioners to get involved by contacting their representatives and senators.
“We would like the people in the parish to remain aware of what we are monitoring and what might have an impact and be alert to the need to contact their legislators,” Sister Mary Lou said.
One way for parishioners to stay in touch with legislative issues is by subscribing to the diocese’s free “A Call to Social Action” newsletter. A complete list of the diocese’s legislative action update is published. Interested Catholics can e-mail Navin at tnavin@dolr.org or call (501) 664-0340.
Overall, the lobbyists are happy there are no major battles to fight at the state Capitol, Sister Mary Lou said.
“There is no big ugly gorilla in the room right now,” she said.
