School Choice Victory! Governor Tom Corbett signed the tax code bill that expands the existing Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, eliminates the delay for some companies that wish to contribute, and creates another category of tax-credit supported scholarships called EITC 2.0 targeted at students in neighborhoods with perpetually underperforming public schools. This legislation also authorizes school districts to elect to establish their own scholarship grant program, using the state subsidy, for students who want to attend nonpublic schools or public schools in other districts.  Please click here to send a message of thanks to those who supported this legislation.

Homeowner’s Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (HEMAP) The Legislature passed SB 1433 which will enable the PA Housing Finance Agency to reopen HEMAP and start accepting applications for loans this summer.  This program has helped thousands of Pennsylvanians over the years by providing loans to homeowners who were faced with foreclosure through no fault of their own

General Assistance This program, which allowed for a $205 stipend to those truly needy with no other place to turn, was not funded and there is no program to replace it. Advocates for the poor, including PCC, are extremely disappointed with the elimination of the General Assistance program and will be seeking to work cooperatively with the governor and DPW to find alternatives to assist those affected.

Human Services Development Fund (HSDF) This includes state dollars that go to counties to provide a wide range of human services.  Initially, these funds were slated for a 20% cut. Upon final passage of the budget, HSDF was cut 10%. While we are pleased the full 20% cut was not made, PCC will continue to advocate for funding for these vital services.

Pro-Life: The budget line item to fund the state’s alternatives to abortion program, called Real Alternatives, contained a 5.2% increase. In a year where many programs were cut or level-funded, the PCC is pleased with this recognition of the value of life from conception.

Thank you again for all of your efforts!

Both EITC 1.0 and EITC 2.0 programs, as they are being called, are funded by companies that contribute to scholarship organizations in exchange for a tax credit. The longstanding EITC 1.0 program has helped tens of thousands of students attend the school of their choice, including Catholic schools. The EITC 2.0 program will help thousands more by creating special scholarships up to $8,500 ($15,000 for special education students) particularly for income eligible students in the lowest performing 15% of public schools.

The Bishops of Pennsylvania declared school choice to be a defining social justice issue of our society. This expansion of EITC moves Pennsylvania one step closer to a system of education that truly reinforces that parents – not the state – are the primary educators of their children.

But did you know that a classic church-state struggle is underway in Pennsylvania regarding the authority of the state government to influence religious childcare ministries, including Catholic childcare? Click here to send a message in support of Catholic childcare!

Currently, the scope of the state Department of Public Welfare (DPW) authority would allow for a blank-check regulation of all aspects of a church’s pre-school teaching ministry, including curriculum.

Church-affiliated childcare facilities do not object to regulations relating to the health and safety of the children enrolled, but do object to direct or indirect regulation of program content, lesson plans, and staff qualifications. Simply put, we want to pursue our religious mission without unwarranted government intrusion.

Now is the time to bring this decades-long struggle to a resolution that honors the state’s commitment to one of our most essential freedoms, while explicitly reserving the state’s undisputed responsibility to protect the health and safety of children.

Senate Bill 1134 corrects this overreach – your legislator needs to hear from you in support of Senate Bill 1134 today! This important legislation passed the Senate Education Committee with a vote of 9-2. The following Senators voted in favor of the bill -

Browne, Patrick M. (R-Leigh, Monroe, Northampton)

Corman, Jake (R- Centre, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry, Union)

Dinniman, Andrew E. (D – Chester, Montgomery)

Folmer, Mike (R-Berks, Chester, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon)

Piccola, Jeffrey E. (R- Dauphin, York)

Scarnati, Joseph B., III (R – Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, Tioga, Warren)

Smucker, Lloyd K. (R-Lancaster, York)

Tomlinson, Robert M. (R- Bucks)

Williams, Anthony H. (D- Delaware, Philadelphia)

The rest of the Senate needs to hear from you, click on here to send a message! Thank you for your support of Senate Bill1134.

Send a message to your state legislators and the governor in support of school choice and HB 2468. Tell them to urge legislative leaders to move the bill.

“The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference fully supports Rep. Christiana’s proposal to create another category of tax credit scholarships for students who particularly need more educational choices,” said Dr. Robert J. O’Hara, Jr., executive director. “The long-standing and highly successful Educational Improvement Tax Credit program has a proven track record. EITC scholarships have helped tens of thousands of students attend the school of their choice. EISC scholarships will help thousands more.”

Proposed funding for the traditional EITC program (k-12 and pre-k combined) is $100 million, $25 million more than last year. An additional $100 million would be allocated for EISC scholarship tax credits.

Like EITC, the EISC program would be funded by companies that contribute to scholarship organizations in exchange for a tax credit. These special scholarships up to $8,500 ($15,000 for special education students) are set aside particularly for income eligible students in the lowest performing 15% of public schools.

The PCC has been a staunch supporter of vouchers such as proposed by Senators Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin) and Anthony Williams (D-Philadelphia) in Senate Bill 1, and a staunch supporter of expanding EITC. O’Hara said, “For us, school choice is about reinforcing that parents – not the state – are the primary educators of their children. We support legislation that accomplishes that ideal.”

Send a message to your state legislators and the governor in support of school choice and HB 2468. Tell them to urge legislative leaders to move the bill.

The first, “the importunate friend,” invites us to urgent prayer: “Knock and it will be opened to you.” (cf. Luke 11:5-13)

The second, “the importunate widow,” is centered on one of the qualities of prayer: it is necessary to pray always without ceasing and with the patience of faith. (cf. Luke 18:1-8)

I looked it up. Importunate means troublesomely urgent or overly persistent.

These parables teach powerful lessons about persistence, patience and faith. Good tools for living our faith, but they are also good tools for Catholic advocacy.

Several issues in Washington, DC and Harrisburg right now are frustratingly unresolved:

HHS Contraceptive Mandate

A mandate issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would force all employers, including religious employers, to buy coverage for sterilization, contraceptives and drugs that induce abortion, even if it goes against moral teachings. Lawsuits have been filed across the country to challenge this violation of religious liberty. We must pray that religious liberty will prevail.

The regulation was published in its final form, however HHS opened another public comment period to solicit input from citizens, and Congress is considering bills that would protect religious institutions and citizens from this conscience violation. You can submit comments to HHS at www.pacatholic.org.

School Choice

Legislation including vouchers and an increase to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) is still working its way through the legislative process. EITC already helps Catholic schools; this legislation will allow even more families the opportunity to receive a Catholic education.

Legislators need to hear that their constituents support this issue. Pennsylvania cannot afford to put this off until later. Now is the time to pass school choice!

Pro-Life Legislation

Political controversy postponed the debate over HB 1077, a bill that would give women the right to view an ultrasound of their babies before undergoing an abortion. Opponents have circulated confusing messages about what the bill entails; supporters must speak up with the facts.

An ultrasound examination is already standard practice in abortion clinics to determine gestational age or if the pregnancy is ectopic. Informing a woman that she has the right to view the ultrasound image and hear the heartbeat of her child gives her access to the same information available to her doctor. It is her right to choose for herself whether to view it or hear it; and she can make her decision to abort or not based on informed consent. Ultimately, no matter one’s position on abortion, we can all agree that it is a serious issue that a woman cannot take back or undo.

Senate Bill 3 and House Bill 1977 would remove abortion funding from the state health care exchanges that will be created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The respective chambers are still negotiating how to achieve final passage.

We must urge the legislature to continue the debate on these pro-life measures.

Take Action

It is tempting to give up when the wheels of government seemingly grind to a halt. It is easy to feel defeated when your issue no longer appears on the front page of the newspaper, but visits, calls, letters and emails to legislators about these issues are very effective in prompting action from elected officials. The Pennsylvania Catholic Advocacy Network at www.pacatholic.org makes it easy to take action on all of these issues.

We must heed the Gospel and be “importunate advocates” with persistence, patience and faith. Pray always, of course, but don’t forget to email, call and visit your legislators, too!

May 2012. A. B. Hill is Communications Director of the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference – the public affairs arm of Pennsylvania’s Catholic bishops and the Catholic dioceses of Pennsylvania. Stay up-to-date with Catholic news and issues at www.pacatholic.org, www.facebook.com/pacatholic, and www.twitter.com/pacatholic.

This annual birthday party is a way to thank legislators for their support and to remind them of PA families who are impacted by EITC.

Representative Vanessa Brown (D-Philadelphia), a state legislator and a mother, called on the legislature to expand the EITC to the fullest amount so “public, parochial, private or cyber-charter schools are all out there on the table for us to choose for our children.”

Senator Jeffrey Piccola (R-Dauphin) acknowledged that EITC is an important part of choice, but not the only solution.  Speaking about vouchers, he said, “To my colleagues in the General Assembly, let’s get to work!” The REACH Foundation gave Piccola its Award of Excellence. Piccola did not seek reelection.

To see photos from the rally, click here.

School choice supporters are advocating for a voucher program and an increase the long standing and successful EITC program. Send a message to your state legislators today in support of school choice!

Archbishop Charles J. Chaput at St. Patrick Cathedral, Harrisburg. Photo by Chris Heisey, The Catholic Witness

Archbishop Charles Chaput writes about religious freedom in his most recent column:

“On Thursday, April 12, America’s bishops issued one of their most important statements in years. Our First, Most Cherished Liberty is not just a compelling defense of religious freedom. It’s also a call to action no committed Catholic can afford to ignore.

First, a little history and some background:

In the vision of America’s Founders, God exists, and his sovereignty matters. God endows each person with freedom and rights so that we can fulfill our duties toward him and each other. Our rights come from God, not from the state. Government is justified only insofar as it secures, promotes and defends those natural rights.

As James Madison said in his 1785 “Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments”:

“[Man's duty of honoring God] is precedent both in order of time and degree of obligation to the claims of civil society. Before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governor of the universe.”

This is why religious liberty is our most important freedom. Our first governor is God, our Creator, the Governor of the universe. We’re created for a higher purpose. We have a religious destiny. Our right to pursue this destiny precedes the state. Any attempt to suppress our right to worship, preach, teach, practice, organize and peacefully engage society because of our belief in God is an attack not only on the cornerstone of human dignity, but also on the nature of the American experiment.”

Read the entire column here.

Thanks to the EITC, more than 40,000 students each year are able to choose a school that best fits their needs. The annual birthday party is a way to thank legislators for their support and to remind them of PA families who are impacted by EITC.

School choice supporters are advocating for a voucher program and an increase the long standing and successful EITC program. Mark your calendars for the EITC Birthday Rally on May 9, but send a message to your state legislators today in support of school choice!