New year welcomes new laws, while state plods on without budget
As we begin a new calendar year, the old one is still with us. State lawmakers and the governor have yet to craft a budget for the fiscal year that began on July 1, 2015 -- six months ago. Court orders and federal consent decrees have kept most of state government...
U.S. bishops discouraged over inaction on federal conscience protections
U.S. bishops today expressed disappointment over Congress' lack of action on ensuring federal conscience protections for health care providers. Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, who serves as the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,...
CCI Radio Hour: Dec. 21, 2015
Dec. 21, 2015 show At the end of this month, Illinois will have gone without a state budget for six months. Emily Miller, director of policy and advocacy for Voices for Illinois Children, gives an overview of the state budget impasse as we approach the end of the...
CCI offers analysis of new federal 'Every Student Succeeds Act'
President Barack Obama last week signed into law the "Every Student Succeeds Act," which essentially rewrites the No Child Left Behind Act and takes the focus off the overuse of standardized tests to measure student success. Archbishop George J. Lucas of...
U.S. bishops maintain support for refugees, Muslims
U.S. bishops are urging Americans to hold firm to the Christian principle of welcoming the stranger in the aftermath of terrorist attacks in Paris and California linked to the Islamic State (ISIS). Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, president of the U.S. Conference of...
We're part of the biggest pro-life party in the Midwest in January!
The Catholic Conference of Illinois is a sponsor of the March for Life Chicago, an annual public event composed of people from diverse ethnic, social, and religious backgrounds dedicated to defending & protecting all human life. The March is a rockin’ block...
CCI Radio Hour: Nov. 16, 2015
Nov. 16, 2015 show Daniel Blomberg of the D.C.-based Becket Fund for Religious Liberty joins Bob to talk about the U.S. Supreme Court agreeing to hear in March the case by the Little Sisters of the Poor and other faith-based nonprofits regarding their objection to the...
U.S. Supreme Court to hear Little Sisters of the Poor HHS mandate challenge
The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to hear the Little Sisters of the Poor's challenge to the federal government's accommodation of a mandate requiring insurance coverage of morally-objectionable services. The nation's high court is expected to hear...
Education Newsletter: November 2015
Remember those protocols established for student athletes and concussions? Lawmakers passed legislation delaying the the protocols for a year, and the governor is expected to sign it into law. Learn more in our November 2015 Education Newsletter.
CCI Radio Hour: Oct. 19, 2015
Oct. 19, 2015 show October is Respect Life month, so Bob kicks off the show by talking about the current status of adoption in the United States with Elizabeth Kirk, a resident fellow in cultural and legal studies at the Stein Center for Social Research at Ave Maria...