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The World Mourns the Passage of Pope Francis
The passing of Pope Francis on Monday marks the end of an historic papacy. He raised the consciousness of the world to the plight of the poor, highlighting the challenges faced by migrants and other displaced persons, as well as focusing on the state of the world’s ecology, among other issues.
Pope Francis’ funeral Mass will be live-streamed at 3:00 a.m. Saturday morning here.
Missouri House Advances Youth Opportunity Tax Credit Bill
The Missouri House this week advanced HB 737, sponsored by Rep. Melissa Schmidt (R-Eldridge), which includes language expanding the state tax credit available under the Youth Opportunity Program (YOP) from 50% to 70% for donations to programs that “help broaden and strengthen opportunities for positive development and participation in community life for youth, and to discourage such persons from engaging in criminal and violence behavior.” These credits are used by several Catholic Charity ministries to help drive donations and this increase has been a legislative priority for several years. The bill, the title of which relates to the protection of children, has been working its way through the legislative process this entire session. It now awaits one final vote in the Senate (expected before the end of the session) before heading to the Governor for his consideration.
Congress to Return Next Week to Begin Work on Budget Reconciliation
Congress will return next week to begin work on the budget reconciliation package they passed before the Easter break. House and Senate committees have been assigned the work of finding budget cuts to pay for the extension of the 2017 tax cuts enacted during the first Trump administration. Look for an action alert next week asking legislators in Washington to protect programs that benefit low-income Americans, who benefit the most from programs like Medicaid, which currently provides health coverage for one in five Americans.
Deacon Tyler
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