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Pregnancy Support Services Receives Final Passage, Will Head to the Governor
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On Thursday, February 8, the Senate voted (21-12) to codify the Florida Pregnancy Support Services Program (FPSSP) in Florida statutes. The full House passed the measure earlier this session (73-29) and the bill will go next to Governor Scott for his signature.
We are grateful for Catholic Days at the Capitol participants who advocated for this legislation and thank the FLCAN members who reached out to their senators to urge support for SB 444 (Bean) / HB 41 (Toledo).
Through a network of 106 pregnancy support centers across the state, FPSSP provides resources and services to pregnant mothers as they prepare to parent or place their babies for adoption. In addition to free pregnancy tests, local, non-profit centers offer counseling, referrals, material support, training, and pregnancy and childbirth education. Clients are eligible to receive services for up to one year after the child's birth.
FPSSP has been operating since 2005 and receives annual funding in the state budget. In 2016, the program was expanded to include women's wellness services. Establishing the program in statute better positions it in the annual budget process and requires the Florida Pregnancy Care Network through a contract with the Department of Health to provide oversight of background screenings, annual compliance monitoring, and informational materials. |
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Bill Expanding Retroactivity in Death Penalty Cases Advances in Senate
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An FCCB-supported proposal that provides that the partial retroactivity of a new unanimous jury requirement will result in a miscarriage of justice was approved by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee (3-2) on Tuesday, February 6.
The issue stems from a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that found Florida's death penalty sentencing scheme unconstitutional, since it allowed judges, not juries, to make the final decision on sending a prisoner to death row. That ruling compelled the Florida legislature to rewrite its sentencing laws, with the current law now requiring a unanimous jury verdict for the state to impose a death sentence.
However, the Florida Supreme Court has held the ruling to be only partially retroactive. Only cases that were finalized after June 24, 2002 and had non-unanimous juries are eligible for resentencing. Defendants whose death sentences were finalized before this date - but under the same unconstitutional system - have been denied relief. SB 870 (Bracy) states that applying retroactivity to the earlier cases will provide a more just and final resolution.
For many years, the FCCB supported unanimous jury legislation as an incremental improvement in the law as long as the State of Florida maintains its use of the death penalty. Moreover, the bishops urge an end to the use of the death penalty, since the alternative sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole can keep society safe without taking an additional life. |
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National Marriage Week USA and World Marriage Day Celebrate Life and Love
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National Marriage Week USA and World Marriage Day are opportunities "to focus on building a culture of life and love that begins with supporting and promoting marriage and the family," wrote Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., chairman of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in a letter to his brother bishops. February 7-14 marks the annual celebration of National Marriage Week USA. World Marriage Day falls in the middle of the week on February 11.
To assist in the observances, the USCCB has developed several resources including a homily resource, poster, prayer intentions and a bulletin insert marking the 50th anniversary of Blessed Paul VI's encyclical "Humanae Vitae" ("Of Human Life"), which reaffirms the church's teaching on married love and responsible parenthood.
In conjunction with the start of National Marriage Week USA, a new mobile responsive ForYourMarriage.org website was launched on February 7, 2018. The site offers numerous resources on the meaning and beauty of marriage in God's plan and provides support to couples at every stage of their journey.
Other websites hosted by the USCCB and dedicated to promoting marriage include PorTuMatrimonio.org and MarriageUniqueForAReason.org.
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Sign Up to Receive Action Alert Notifications Via Text Message
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Time is of the essence when your Florida legislator needs to hear from you on an issue. Often, little notice is given before a bill is considered by a committee or heard on the floor of the House or Senate chamber. You can be notified immediately when the FCCB sends an action alert to the Florida Catholic Advocacy Network by signing up for text messages. It's easy to sign up, just text FLCAN to 50457. |
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February 9, 2018
Follow Us On
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2018 FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE SESSION
E-Update: Week 5
The 2018 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature began January 9 and is schedule to conclude March 9.
Each Friday during the 60-day session, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCCB) provides a summary of activity on priority bills and other items of interest at the Capitol.
For the current status of FCCB priority bills, see our legislative bill report.
E-Update: Week 1
E-Update: Week 2
E-Update: Week 3
E-Update: Week 4
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