Disappointingly, the Iowa Supreme Court stalemated on a 3-3 vote in a case deciding whether the 2018 law prohibiting abortions after a heartbeat can be detected could be enforced. Therefore, the heartbeat law cannot be enforced. We support efforts by legislators to pass the law again to try to limit the harm of abortion to the greatest extent possible.
Iowa’s “20-week” abortion law remains in effect.
More than 300 people participated in the Iowa March for Life on June 24. You can check out our Facebook page for some pictures. Thanks to those who attended!
As RAGBRAI riders look for food to replenish their energy after a long day’s ride, they’ll also be able to find spiritual food to sustain their spirits.
The four dioceses of Iowa will offer Mass at several of the communities along the RAGBRAI ride through the state in July in the spirit of the National Eucharistic Revival. The four diocesan communications professionals collaborated to create a map highlighting Catholic Masses along the route as well as a listing of confessions, adoration, tours, meals and other amenities sponsored by Catholic entities. The map and information are available at www.lumenmedia.org/ragbrai-2023.
Federal action alerts
Our society can and must protect and care for both women and their children. It’s time to contact your member of Congress and ask them to continue a long history of bipartisan support for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
WIC provides healthy food and nutrition support for vulnerable moms, infants, and young children. According to the USCCB, rising food costs and increased program participation make strong investments in WIC more important than ever. Supporting WIC is one way we can help build a society that welcomes new life and is oriented towards helping children and their parents, especially those who are most vulnerable.
The USCCB has also issued an action alert in support of legislation which would end the SNAP benefit ban for people with drug-related felony convictions.
News and notes
On June 24, the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, 31 Catholic members of Congress authored a public statement of principles, falsely invoking specific teachings of the Catholic Church to defend their support of a legal right to abortion. Several committee chairs of the USCCB issued a statement saying: “Members of Congress who recently invoked teachings of the Catholic faith itself as justifying abortion or supporting a supposed right to abortion grievously distort the faith. It is wrong and incoherent to claim that the taking of innocent human life at its most vulnerable stage can ever be consistent with the values of supporting the dignity and wellbeing of those in need. ‘Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception,’ including through the civil law [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2270, 2273]. Abortion violates this with respect to preborn children and brings untold suffering to countless women.”
Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, urged Congress to provide adequate funding for the federal agencies tasked with caring for the environment. As Congress considers Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, Archbishop Gudziak recalls Pope Francis’ words that every government has an “inalienable responsibility to preserve its country’s environment and natural resources.”
The U.S. Supreme Court, as per usual in June, has issued several rulings of interest:
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the authority of the Biden administration to prioritize deportations by considering two key factors: determining if an individual presents significant threats to public safety, and assessing whether they have recently crossed the border.
The Court also ruled that the state of Colorado is prohibited by the First Amendment from compelling a website designer to produce expressive designs that convey messages contrary to the designer’s beliefs.
Finally, the Court found that employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations for employees’ religious practice unless doing so imposes undue hardships on their operations.
And finally,
Have a great 4th of July!