Catholic Conference of Ohio The official voice of the Catholic Church in Ohio on matters of public policy and government relations.

The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified today in support of House Bill 197, which would establish community solar pilot and solar development programs. Teachings of the Catholic Church call us to care for our common home, to employ innovative means of stewarding our resources, and to attend to the needs of the vulnerable. Caring for our common home requires public attention to the means of energy production, and HB 197 brings an innovative approach to an all-of-the-above energy strategy. Click "Read more" to view the full testimony.

The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified today in support of House Bill 295, the Innocence Act, which would prohibit an organization from failing to verify the age of a person attempting to access material that is obscene or harmful to juveniles, prohibit a person from using another person's likeness to create sexual images of the other person, and create a private right of action for each prohibited activity. The research on pornography is clear and unanimous: its effects are gravely injurious to young people. Not only will the Innocence Act treat minors online as it does in person, but this bill also responds to one of the most pressing needs of our time. Namely, the protection and elevation of human dignity. Click "Read more" to view the full testimony.

House Bill 34, which excuses breast-feeding mothers from jury service, was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine. The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified in support of the bill sponsored by Representatives Roy Klopfenstein (R-Haviland) and Angela King (R-Celina) and unanimously passed by both the Ohio Senate and Ohio House of Representatives. The law will go into effect 90 days from today, April 23, 2024.

The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified earlier this week in support of House Bill 106, which would require employers to provide earnings and deductions statements to their employees. The Catholic faith considers work a fundamental right and calls for protection in the form of fundamental fairness in all agreements and transactions. In the encyclical Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo wrote, “to defraud any one of wages that are his due is a great crime which cries to the avenging anger of Heaven.” Click “Read more” to view the full testimony.

In addition, House Bill 34, which would excuse breast-feeding mothers from jury service, was unanimously passed by the Ohio Senate. The bill now goes to Governor DeWine for his approval as the Ohio House of Representatives unanimously passed HB 34 last June. 

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops recently updated Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, a teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics. 

Click "Read More" to visit the Catholic Conference of Ohio resource page for more information and to read the document. 

The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified this week in support of Senate Bill 159, which would authorize a tax credit for donations made to pregnancy resource centers. Studies in Ohio have shown that black women and women of low socio-economic status are more likely to visit a pregnancy resource center. Given the plight of maternal health outcomes in Ohio by race and class, it is obvious that pregnancy resource centers are invaluable institutions serving women most in need. SB 159 would encourage directing funds to organizations whose efforts to support women with material resources, counseling, and personal accompaniment are a heroic witness to the dignity of women and their preborn children.  

Click "Read more" for the full testimony.

The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified this week in support of Senate Bill 198, which would provide inmates with state identification cards and documentation upon their release relating to work experience, education, and trade skills. The Bureau of Justice Statistics finds that three out of five of those once incarcerated struggle with unemployment, in part due to the difficulty of procuring necessary documentation. Providing applications for identification cards, copies of training records, a birth certificate, and other documents that assist a returning citizen in obtaining employment will yield manifold benefits, both for those involved in the justice system and beyond. Click "Read more" to view the full testimony.

The Catholic bishops of Ohio issued a letter to all Ohio Senators and Representatives asking them to support legislation to end Ohio's death penalty. The Catholic Church worldwide continuously seeks the full protection of the law for human life from conception to natural death. Read the letter here.

Make your voice heard and urge your state legislators to support Senate Bill 101 and House Bill 259 to abolish the death penalty in Ohio. Use the following action alerts to easily send a message:

• Action Alert for SB 101 - Contact Your Senator
• Action Alert for HB 259 - Contact Your Representative

Catholic opposition to the death penalty is rooted in our teaching that every human being bears the image of God, regardless of the stage of life or circumstance. From the preborn, to the indigent, to the man on death row, the Catholic Church insists that every single human life deserves justice, respect, and mercy. It is the unequivocal teaching of the Catholic faith that the death penalty is “inadmissible.”