School choice

In focus: Miraculous Medal Shrine, World Day for Consecrated Life, former priest faces sexual misconduct charges

A new law passed swiftly by the Iowa Legislature Jan. 24, 2023, gives more families the opportunity to choose between sending their children to private or public schools in Iowa, beginning with the next school year, 2023-24.

With the start of the 2023 Minnesota legislative session Jan. 3, the Minnesota Catholic Conference, the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, is putting families at the top of its advocacy strategy for the year.

Of the questions covered by the survey, the Minnesota Catholic Conference has been involved in four: promoting school choice, opposing the recreational marijuana industry, opposing sports gambling, and ensuring everyone living in Minnesota is licensed to drive.

The case, Carson v. Makin, will decide the future of tuition reimbursement for schools with a religious affiliation and is likely to be a key decision in the future of government oversight and parental choice in education.

Amid the ongoing challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the Minnesota Catholic Conference worked to help pass legislation at the State Capitol this session to protect the poor and vulnerable while also staving off initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana and physician-assisted suicide.

When the doors reopened June 10, Minnesota Catholic Conference staff joined parents and others asking Gov. Tim Walz to sign school choice legislation.

Lawmakers currently have multiple solutions on the table regarding educational choice.