Submitted by the Minnesota Catholic Conference
Achieving legislative success at the Capitol is no simple feat. All gears need to work together. A needle-moving meeting with a legislator is built on many prior efforts. Catholic constituents emailing their legislators, thousands of prayers during Adoration at the Capitol, and years of relationship-building by Minnesota Catholic Conference staff lobbyists all play a role.
With this in mind, we are pleased to report that the 2026 legislative session was both substantive and productive. Notably, MCC spearheaded groundbreaking social media legislation that passed both the House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Walz. We also successfully stopped legislation that promotes a throwaway culture, including: physician-assisted suicide; mandated insurance coverage for unethical forms of assisted reproduction such as in vitro fertilization; the Equal Rights Amendment; and the legalization of sports gambling through commercial sports books.
None of this could have been accomplished without the faithful citizenship of Catholics like you. Below are some numbers that illustrate our collective impact.
- Contacting Legislators in Large Numbers
Over 11,000 messages were sent to legislators at crucial moments by our Catholic Advocacy Network members. In addition, our social media updates reached more than 430,000 people online. Make no mistake: constituent voices like yours were instrumental in passing and stopping bills to protect life and the common good. - Thousands Prayed with Jesus at the Capitol
This year, more than 1,000 Catholics participated in at least one of our Eucharistic prayer opportunities—a 566% increase from last year. As Bishop Andrew Cozzens said, “Adoration at the Capitol will have an impact on everything that happens in this building.” There’s no diminishing the power of your prayer for legislators and our state, nor the significant impact it has on our advocacy efforts. - Boots on the Ground Advocacy
Finally, there is the day-to-day hustle and grind of advocacy work. The MCC lobbying team, as well as the bishops of Minnesota, met with legislators, testified before committees, and worked behind the scenes to influence legislation. This session year alone, they provided 35 verbal and written testimonies and conducted upwards of 325 individual meetings and phone calls with legislators. Collectively, they met with 118 of the 201 legislators.
Join the Movement
At the Minnesota Catholic Conference, we are a small team. But the voice and action of Catholics like you across the state help us to make a big impact at the Capitol. As we prepare for the upcoming elections in November, we encourage you to join the Catholic Advocacy Network at mncatholic.org to be formed in the faith, informed on the issues, and take action to transform our state.
The Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, provides an occasional “Inside the Capitol” update.