The following is a letter sent by the Iowa Catholic bishops asking for clemency for Dustin Honken. He is scheduled to be the first Iowan executed since the 1960's. July 1, 2020 President Donald Trump The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Trump: Dustin Lee Honken was convicted [...]
Statement from Iowa bishops on DACA recipients and asylum rule Downloadable one-pager on DACA Downloadable one-pager on DACA (español) Action alert is at https://justiceforimmigrants.org/category/action-alerts/ A decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2020 prevented the Administration from ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The DACA program was implemented in 2012 and [...]
We support an Iowa constitutional amendment to clarify that a right to abortion is not guaranteed by the State of Iowa Constitution. The Iowa Supreme Court, in a June 2018 decision, struck down the law requiring a three-day waiting period before an abortion is performed. In pursuit of that decision, the Court claimed that the [...]
The National Council on Disability (NCD) has released a federal study, “The Danger of Assisted Suicide Laws,” revealing that assisted suicide laws are rife with dangers to people with disabilities. The NCD is an independent federal agency charged with advising the President, Congress and other federal agencies regarding policies, programs, practices, and procedures that affect [...]
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on Nov. 12, 2019 on the legality of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. A decision is expected to be announced by the Supreme Court in June 2020. DACA recipients are young adults who were born in other countries and are not citizens in the United States. [...]
We recognize that gambling can be a legitimate recreational activity in an atmosphere of moderation and control, and we appreciate the assistance that some of our charities and institutions have received from casinos over the years. However, gambling becomes morally unacceptable when it deprives someone of what is necessary to provide for his or her [...]
The Iowa Catholic Conference supports the reform of our immigration system in a just and humane way. We believe that persons have the right to find opportunities in their homeland, in addition to a right to migrate to support and protect themselves and their families. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, in collaboration with [...]
The Catholic bishops of Iowa released a letter on gun legislation on Dec. 6, 2018. The bishops said, “We believe that weapons increasingly capable of inflicting great suffering in a short period of time are simply too accessible. The right to bear arms as found in our Constitution must be balanced against the safety and [...]
In May of 1980, Catholic bishops from eleven Midwestern and Plains states issued a regional statement on land issues called “Strangers and Guests: Toward Community in the Heartland.” The bishops who signed and issued the statement on May 1, 1980 represented Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. [...]
With the passage of Senate File 481, the state of Iowa has changed the relationship of local law enforcement with the Immigration Control Enforcement agency. The bishops of Iowa opposed the legislation, known as the "anti-sanctuary city" bill, and encourage Catholics throughout Iowa to learn more about their own Fourth Amendment rights and how they [...]