6 Ways to Prepare for the 2022 Indiana General Assembly

With fall in full swing and winter quickly approaching, the Indiana Statehouse will soon be bustling with the convening of the 2022 Indiana General Assembly. Whether you live in the state capitol or another Hoosier city, there are a variety of ways you can help the Indiana Catholic Conference (ICC) as it seeks to bring the Church’s united voice to the Statehouse. 

Here are six simple things Hoosier Catholics can do to support the work of the ICC in the upcoming session: 

1. Know who represents you. 
   Take a moment to look up your legislator. Learn about their tenure as a legislator as well as their committee membership. Find out about their interests and experiences. Did you know that about one third of legislators at the Statehouse identify as Catholic? Knowing about your legislator can be very helpful when advocating for an issue because you can craft a message to appeal to their interests.

2. Sign up for ICAN alerts. 
   The Indiana Catholic Action Network is the ICC’s primary network of communication. During the Indiana General Assembly, the ICC sends weekly updates on bills of interest to the Church in Indiana. By signing up for alerts, you also get information about our weekly podcast: the ICAN Podcast.   

3. Volunteer to be an ICAN liaison.  
   ICAN liaisons serve as a connection between the Indiana Catholic Conference and Catholic parishes, institutions, and schools by sharing information from the ICC with their communities. ICAN liaisons attend a yearly training to network with other liaisons and prepare for the upcoming Indiana General Assembly. 
   Sign up today.  

4. Commit to learning more about the Church’s social teaching. 
   The ICC’s policy positions are primarily prudential judgements rooted in the moral principles of the Church’s tradition of social doctrine. Commit to learning more about and praying with this teaching. 
   Get started by reading the introductory letter of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church from Cardinal Angelo Sodano, browsing articles from CAPP-USA, or by viewing the ICC’s discussion series on Laudato Si’.  

5. Tell someone about the ICC. 
   Many Catholics in Indiana don’t know what we do, and we can’t ask them to advocate for or against various issues if we’re not connected. Think about one or two other people who would be good advocates for the Church’s priorities and send them a link to sign up for ICAN. 

6. Pray for our bishops and all Church leaders. 
   The bishops of our state are tasked with guarding and interpreting the Church’s teaching and presenting that teaching in public dialogue. The decisions to act, when to act, and how to balance and articulate the interests of the Church in her public role are never easy. Our bishops need our prayers to act with prudence and wisdom.

Stay tuned for weekly updates from the ICC during the Indiana General Assembly, starting in early January, 2022.