Legislative Session Week in Review: March 21
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March 21, 20252025 LEGISLATIVE SESSIONA blessed second Friday of Lent to you all!
This week, the Universal Church celebrated the Solemnity of its patron, St. Joseph, foster-father Jesus and spouse of Mary, whom even the Son of God obeyed (Lk 2:51). Known for his silence in the Gospels, St. Joseph teaches us that God’s first languages are silence and love. Read more about this great saint and his silence HERE. St. Joseph, protector of the Holy Family and the Church, pray for us!
This Tuesday, March 25, is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, when the archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce her as the mother of the Word Incarnate. On this day, the Church also celebrates the 30th anniversary of Evangelium Vitae (the Gospel of Life), and the fifth anniversary of Walking with Moms in Need (WWMIN). This organization of parishes and communities serves women in crisis pregnancies.
Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, on behalf of the United States Conference of CatholicBishops (USCCB), wrote that the Annunciation “reminds us that our Lord Jesus came to earth as a vulnerable child in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Catholic faith calls us to value every mother and child in the name of Christ ... Please join me in praying that Walking with Moms in Need will continue to become embedded in the very fabric of every parish and diocese as a natural expression of Jesus’s call to serve the most vulnerable. May every mother know that she can turn to her local Catholic parish for help in her time of need.” Read the full statement HERE.
Please click HERE to learn more about WWMIN or HERE to learn about local chapters in the Diocese of Charleston.
See below for the South Carolina Legislature and national updates!In the State - Coming UpFirst — H. 3045, a bill also known as the “Obscene visual representations of child sexual abuse” bill, is on the second reading calendar in the House of Representatives. The bill, primarily sponsored by Rep. Travis Moore, is expected to be debated as early as next week.
H. 3045 creates criminal penalties for people who generate sexually explicit content depicting a minor’s image or likeness. It joins Senate bills S. 28 and S. 29 in addressing this issue.
It is imperative that state lawmakers pass legislation to provide safeguards for minors as technology rapidly develops.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to exploit children by creating sexually explicit images, grooming and luring children into human trafficking and other illicit purposes.
The Catholic Conference calls on the House to address this issue quickly.
Additionally, the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences called for regulation of AI to protect children from its dangers, according to a CatholicNews Service report. Read the full article HERE.In the NationMarch 20 — President Donald Trump signed an executive order called Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities to effectively close the nation’s Department of Education.
Chieko Noguchi, executive director of public affairs for the USCCB, said that while the bishop’s conferences “does not take a position on the institutional structure of government agencies, the Catholic Church teaches that parents are the primary educators of their children and should have the freedom and resources to choose an educational setting best suited for their child … it is important to ensure that students of all backgrounds in both public and non-public schools, especially those with disabilities or from low-income backgrounds, will continue to receive the resources they need.”