The Missouri House Budget Committee on Thursday approved a plan to cut the state's income tax rate. In a 98-32 vote, the House sent the Senate-backed bill to Governor Mike Parson's desk. This comes after the House chose to exclude a corporate tax break, when Parson signaled his opposition to the amendment. While democrats agreed with that change, it also killed other democrat-led amendments to the bill, including a tax credit for teachers. The plan that passed will lower the income tax rate from 5.3% to 4.95% in 2023. The rate could be reduced to 4.5%, if revenue growth is met. It will cost roughly $1 billion when fully implemented. The general revenue fund currently has a $5 billion surplus. Governor Parson called the bill "real relief for Missouri taxpayers"; however, the non-profit Missouri Budget Project said the tax break will largely benefit the wealthiest Missourians. The General Assembly returns to Jefferson City next week to finish debating agricultural tax credits, the second item on Governor Parson's special session agenda.
Absentee voting began this week for Missouri's general election. You can cast your absentee ballot in person or by mail if you know you won't be able to make it to your polling location on election day, November 8. Under a new elections law, no-excuse absentee ballots will be available two weeks before election day. Keep in mind, you will need a valid photo ID to cast your ballot. Voters can request absentee ballots from their local election authority in person, by mail, by fax, and by email. The last day to register to vote is October 12. For more information on absentee voting and the general election, visit GoVoteMissouri.com.
Hurricane Ian is expected to make landfall in South Carolina on Friday, after causing catastrophic flooding and damage in Florida. Ian made landfall on Florida's gulf coast on Wednesday as a category 4 storm, with Fort Myers taking a direct hit. Around two million homes and businesses remain without power. President Biden said Thursday, "The numbers are still unclear, but we're hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life." Catholic Charities USA has launched a disaster relief team to mobilize in Florida. Every dollar donated to Catholic Charities hurricane relief fund will benefit victims and recovery efforts. To donate to Catholic Charities hurricane relief fund, clickhere.
Section 1557 is the nondiscrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act. It protects people from discrimination on the basis of their sex in health care. But the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS) has proposed a rule implementing Section 1557, which would seriously impede Catholic hospitals, clinics, assisted living facilities, and health care workers from carrying out their work.
HHS is interpreting Section 1557 to impose new mandates about gender identity. According to the rule, it would be considered discrimination for a health care worker or Catholic hospital to object outright to performing gender transition procedures- such as the administration of puberty-blocking drugs or surgery to remove healthy body parts-regardless of whether that objection is a matter of religious belief or clinical judgment. The proposed rule also suggests that the government may refuse to honor the right of health care workers and providers not to perform or participate in abortions. The proposed HHS Section 1557 rule could function as both an abortion mandate and a gender transition procedure mandate.
Your comments can make a difference! Join the USCCB in encouraging the HHS to clarify that "discrimination on the basis of sex" is not an abortion mandate, and that health care workers and medical facilities must be free to conscientiously object to gender transition procedures. Click here to submit comments to HHS.
As we approach the start of Respect Life Month in the Catholic Church, Archbishop William Lori, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, is inviting Catholics to "practice radical solidarity and unconditional love" for pregnant and parenting mothers.
After the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Archbishop Lori says, "it is the time for a renewal and rededication of our efforts to build a culture of life and civilization of love." Lori asks Catholics to "shift the paradigm to what Saint Pope John Paul II described as 'radical solidarity,' making the good of others our own good, including especially mothers, babies (born and unborn), and families throughout the entire human lifespan." Finally, he reminds Catholics that the Church "understands that parents, children, and families need help not just during pregnancy, but throughout the whole of life's journey because millions of Catholics already accompany their neighbors in such circumstances."
Read Archbishop Lori's full statement, "Building a Culture of Life in a Post-Roe World" here.
During the month of September, the Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) has invited you to join with Pope Francis as he prays for the abolition of the death penalty. The Pope has made a video for you to follow along, or you can find the English transcript here. The Holy Father invited us to pray "that the death penalty, which attacks the dignity of the human person, may be legally abolished in every country." As the month of September draws to a close, we enter Respect Life Month, which is celebrated in October. On October 10, we celebrate World Day Against the Death Penalty.
CMN invites you to continue the Holy Father's invitation of prayer through the beginning of Respect Life Month by praying the Novena to End the Death Penalty. The Novena will begin on October 1 and conclude on October 9, the day before World Day Against the Death Penalty. October 10 is a time to reflect on the 144 countries that have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. Some of the countries that still have death penalty laws on the books include China, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. CMN has developed a Mobilize Mercy Toolkit with resources to help you learn about the death penalty.
Earlier this week, the Biden administration announced that it will keep the number of refugee admissions to the United States for Fiscal Year 2023 at 125,000, the same as FY 2022, even though the total number of forcibly displaced persons in the world has reached 100 million.
Bishop Mario E. Dorsonville, auxiliary bishop of Washington and chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Committee on Migration, welcomed the announcement of the new PD, stating, "This is an ambitious and worthwhile goal for our nation, which has benefitted from many blessings throughout its history, including the generations of refugees who have already enriched American communities. My brother bishops and I remain fully committed to our Church's centuries-old tradition of welcoming newcomers in this country, especially those fleeing the devastations of war, violence, persecution, political instability, and natural disasters. As we embrace this ministry given to us by Jesus, we look to the President and Congress for their continued support of a robust resettlement program, consistent with our national values. Let us truly strive toward this goal of resettling 125,000 refugees."
To read more about refugee admissions from the USCCB, click here.
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