• FCCB Joins Brief Supporting Reflection Period Prior to Abortion
• Bishop Estévez Responds to National Death Penalty Study
• Appeals Court Dismisses Legal Challenge to Florida Tax Credit Scholarship
• Provisions of 2016 Abortion Law Permanently Enjoined
• Dept. of Children and Families Issues Changes to Rule on Child-Placing Agencies
• Webinar: State Immigration Legislation Review and Strategies for Advocates
• Register for the State Respect Life Conference, October 14 & 15
• Early Voting for Primaries Underway: Where Do the Candidates Stand?
• Recent News from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Follow Us on Social Media

	FCCB Joins Brief Supporting Reflection Period Prior to Abortion
	The Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops has filed an amicus curiae brief in support of Florida's HB 633. The bill, which provides for a 24-hour reflection period prior to an abortion, became law in 2015 and was immediately challenged in the courts. In response to claims of six Florida bioethicists, the brief provides a fuller picture of the law's benefits from a bioethical perspective. It focuses on how the law enhances Florida's policy in light of the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice, and the ways it bolsters the patient/physician relationship. The FCCB was joined on the brief by the Pellegrino Center for Bioethics at Georgetown, the National Catholic Bioethics Center and the Catholic Medical Association. Stephen Emmanuel of Ausley McMullen, and general counsel to the FCCB, was the author of the brief. To read the brief, click here. After earlier issuing a temporary stay putting the 24-hour reflection period on hold, the Florida Supreme Court has agreed to review the case. Oral arguments are scheduled for November 1, 2016.
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	Bishop Estévez Responds to National Death Penalty Study
	A study was released this week by Harvard Law School's Fair Punishment Project, reporting that less than one percent of all U.S. counties handed down five or more death sentences between 2010-2015. While the U.S. is generally moving away from its use of the death penalty, four of the sixteen national outlier counties are in the state of Florida (Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, and Pinellas). The report emphasized the disproportionate impact of the death penalty on African-Americans, the mentally ill, and defendants under the age of 21. In response, Bishop Felipe Estévez of the Diocese of St. Augustine, with clergy of various faiths, held a press conference facilitated by Equal Justice USA in front of the Duval County Courthouse. Participating clergy urged local prosecutors to stop seeking death sentences. In the words of Bishop Estévez, "Whenever we can choose life over death, we are called to do so. Duval County's high use of the death penalty raises grave concerns and goes completely against promoting a culture of life, since means other than execution are available to keep society secure." Photo credit: Brandon Duncan/St. Augustine Catholic
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	Appeals Court Dismisses Legal Challenge to Florida Tax Credit Scholarship
	On August 16, a panel of three judges unanimously dismissed the lawsuit McCall v. Scott, which was originally filed in 2014. The suit alleges that the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program violates the Florida Constitution. Declaring, "Indeed, Appellants failed to allege any concrete harm whatsoever," the 1st District Court of Appeal upheld an earlier decision by the Circuit Court that found the Florida Education Association and other plaintiffs lacked standing in the case. Additionally, the plaintiffs could not show that the program harms public school funding or quality of education. Through FTC scholarships, economically disadvantaged families and children have access to educational choices that would otherwise be unattainable. Since enacted by the Florida Legislature in 2001, the FTC Scholarship Program has been providing hope and opportunity to thousands of students from low-income households. During the 2015-2016 school year, Florida's Catholic schools served 13,369 students in the program, which represents 15.6% of the 85,539 students attending Catholic schools in our state. The FCCB supports the FTC program as a proven method of contributing to the common good and the education of all Florida students. As such, we applaud the court's dismissal and will continue to carefully monitor developments in the case. The Florida Education Association says it has yet to decide whether it will appeal the decision to the Florida Supreme Court.
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	Provisions of 2016 Abortion Law Permanently Enjoined
	On August 18 a federal judge permanently enjoined two provisions of an abortion law passed during the 2016 legislative session. This decision came after U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued a temporary injunction in June. The two enjoined provisions are: A section of the bill preventing state agencies, local governments and Medicaid managed-care plans from contracting with organizations that own, operate or are affiliated with clinics that perform elective abortions A requirement that the state Agency for Health Care Administration inspect at least 50 percent of abortion-clinic patient records each year Although the State may still appeal the ruling, the Scott administration agreed not to pursue further legal action. FCCB supported the original bill, which also included a requirement that abortionists have admitting privileges or a transfer agreement with a nearby hospital, ensuring women seeking abortions receive the same level of care as those who undergo comparable procedures at outpatient surgical facilities. This provision of the law was not included in the legal challenge and went into effect on July 1.
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	Dept. of Children and Families Issues Changes to Rule on Child-Placing Agencies
	The Department of Children and Families (DCF) has released a proposed revision to the rule that establishes licensure for child-caring facilities (65C-14). Despite improvements to the rule, it retains a framework that places children in facilities based on flawed gender ideology. The most significant improvements include: Accounting for the well-being of other children in a facility and other considerations that bear on the appropriateness of placing children with agencies. Revising the definition of "sexual orientation," which now distinguishes between orientation and activity. It is well to protect someone from unjust discrimination on the basis of orientation, but not to protect sexual activity, especially for children. It remains a concern that the rule adopts a flawed framework similar to the Obama administration's controversial transgender bathroom guidance that is based on perceived "gender identity" which may not correspond to a child's sex. As Pope Francis emphasized, "'biological sex and the socio-cultural role of sex (gender) can be distinguished but not separated.'" (Amoris Laetitia, no. 56). We offer a special "thank you" to those who responded to the FLCAN action alert and contacted DCF and Governor Scott with their concern for all children in the care of the State. We will continue to review the proposed rule and explore further options to improve it.
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	Webinar: State Immigration Legislation Review and Strategies for Advocates
	Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) will host a webinar titled Mid-year Review of 2016 State Immigration Legislation and Advocacy Strategies. Advocacy Attorney Christy Williams will discuss how state lawmakers addressed refugee resettlement, sanctuary cities and other crucial issues through legislative means during their sessions and how those bills, whether they passed or not, affected immigrants. Guest speakers Ingrid Delgado of the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops and Rachel Pollock of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas will share challenges and best practices that presented themselves as they opposed multiple anti-immigrant bills in their state legislatures. When: Tuesday, September 6, 2016, 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time To register for the webinar, click here.
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	Register for the State Respect Life Conference, October 14 & 15
	Registration is now open for the 30th Annual State Respect Life Conference, hosted by the Diocese of Orlando. Theme: "Merciful Like the Father" Date: October 14 & 15, 2016 Location: Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 5300 Old Howell Branch Road, Winter Park, FL To help energize, educate and engage, this conference will provide hope and inspiration for people of good will who seek to reawaken in all hearts a zeal for life. An impressive array of national speakers will deliver powerful and impactful messages of mercy that can guide our efforts to promote, nurture and instill the Gospel of life into our world. Important and relevant topics such as human trafficking, pornography, abortion, bioethics, and the death penalty will be explored through the lens of God's merciful love for each of us. All ministry leaders, parishioners, and community members who seek to become more effective witnesses to the Gospel of life and the Father's love are invited to this special event that is designed to engage all Catholics on the mission of mercy in the life of the Church. Continuing education credit is being pursued. For more information and to register, visit the Diocese of Orlando website.
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	Early Voting for Primaries Underway: Where Do the Candidates Stand?
	Early voting for the August 30 primary election is underway in all Florida counties. The Candidate Questionnaire Project (CQP) is available to assist you in identifying the candidates' positions on the issues before heading to the polls. All U.S. Congressional and Florida legislative candidates appearing on the ballot were invited to participate in a questionnaire. Candidates were asked to identify whether they support or oppose a range of concerns that are important to our faith community and are anticipated to come before lawmakers in the coming term. Candidate responses and summaries for distribution in parishes can be found on the FCCB website. The deadline for primary candidates to respond to the questionnaire has passed; general election candidates have until October 11 to respond. For early voting times and locations, click here.
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	Recent News from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
	August 24, 2016: U.S. Catholic and Iranian Religious Leaders Unite in Call for Promotion of Culture of Encounter, Dialogue and Peace - A joint declaration issued today by U.S. Catholic bishops and Iranian religious leaders calls for developing a culture of encounter, tolerance, dialogue, and peace that respects the religious traditions of others. The leaders regard the development and use of weapons of mass destruction and acts of terrorism as "immoral." August 24, 2016: USCCB President Calls for Emergency Collection to Assist Louisiana Flood Victims - The funds will support the humanitarian efforts of Catholic Charities USA and will help provide support to Catholic dioceses impacted by the flood. More information is available at: https://catholiccharitiesusa.org/ August 23, 2016: Pope Names Bishop Holley as New Bishop of Memphis - Pope Francis has named Bishop Martin D. Holley, 61, as bishop of Memphis, Tennessee, and accepted the resignation of Bishop J. Terry Steib, 76, from the pastoral governance of that diocese. Bishop Holley has served as an auxiliary bishop of Washington for the last 12 years and was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee. August 22, 2016: Labor Day Statement Invites Us to Replace Fear with a Fuller Vision - The lack of jobs that can support families, particularly among those without access to higher education, has placed heavy burdens on families and communities across the country. This Labor Day, the Church draws close to these families and expresses words of hope, said Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development in the 2016 Labor Day statement (Spanish). July 21, 2016: USCCB President Calls for National Day of Prayer September 9 and Appoints Special Task Force to Promote Peace and Unity - In light of recent incidents of violence and racial tension in communities across the United States, USCCB president, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, has invited all dioceses across the country to unite in a Day of Prayer for Peace in Our Communities. He has also appointed a special task force to support bishops in marking that Day of Prayer, and more broadly, in promoting peace and healing during this time of great strain on civil society. Included among the bishops serving on the task force are Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami and Bishop John H. Ricard, SSJ, Bishop Emeritus of Pensacola-Tallahassee.
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