Governmental policy and legislation report No. 2

Human trafficking and COVID. Human trafficking is still with us and only made worse by the COVID pandemic. Learn about the impact of COVID on human trafficking in a free webinar offered by Catholic Hospital Association, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking. Register for Wednesday, February 2, here.

St. Josephine Bakhita, pray for us. St. Josephine, whose feast is February 8, was kidnapped from her home in Sudan and sold as a slave several times until she eventually reached Italy and obtained her freedom. She then became a religious sister and served as a cook and doorkeeper in her convent. She became known for a gentleness and holiness. She was canonized in 2000 and is patron saint of those opposing slavery. Read more about her fascinating life here.

Georgia General Assembly. The Georgia General Assembly has begun its 2022 legislative session and is expected to continue until Monday, April 4. The Georgia Catholic Conference will follow legislation affecting the common good and seek amendments in bills to benefit the people of Georgia consistent with the principles of Catholic teaching. Bills are only beginning to emerge but the following are some measures of interest.

          SB 351 – Women’s Health & Safety Act would, among other things, require a pregnant woman to receive an in-person exam from a licensed physician prior to an abortion to ensure that she is not at increased risk of complications as well as prohibit abortion pills from being provided via telemedicine or sent through the mail.

          HB 485 – This bill proposes to repeal the death penalty as a punishment in Georgia.

          HB 1013 – The Speaker of the House has introduced a major reworking of Georgia law related to mental health.

ICYMI — Do you want more information on immigration? Immigration news and policy modifications are coming from the government daily. Do you want to receive more action alerts, weekly reviews, updates on webinars, backgrounders and much more? Go to http://justiceforimmigrants.org, scroll to the bottom of any page and fill out the form. Justice for Immigrants stays on top of changes for you.

Post expires at 9:22am on Monday December 30th, 2024