MCC from the Capitol

Missouri Catholic Conference

In this podcast produced by the Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC), we will dive deeper into public policy issues from a Catholic perspective.

  1. SEP 24

    Prison Nursery Offers Moms Healing, Hope, and Redemption

    Missouri is now one of just 10 states in the country with a correctional nursery program.  Before the program’s launch, incarcerated mothers were typically separated from their newborns within 24 to 48 hours after delivery. Infants were usually placed with relatives or sometimes were placed into the foster care system.  This program offers a different path—one grounded in dignity, healing, and the belief in second chances.  MCC talks with Kim Perkins, nursery program manager at  the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center (WERDCC) in Vandalia. Kim discusses the challenges and successes of the program.

    41 min

  2. SEP 5

    Catholic Mobilizing Network’s Fight against the Death Penalty

    The Missouri Catholic Conference’s Legislative Counsel, Curt Wichmer, recently met with Emmjolee Mendoza-Waters, Director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network’s (CMN) Death Penalty Abolition Program, on the MCC from the Capitol Podcast. Topics of discussion included an outline of CMN’s mission and various efforts to curb the prevalence of capital punishment in the United States, as well as how Missouri stands apart from virtually every other state in the country in its use of judicial override at death penalty sentencing trials.

    34 min

  3. AUG 22

    Immigration Through a Catholic Lens

    Recently, Dr. Guillermo Villa-Trueba, Hispanic Outreach Manager at the MCC, spoke with Dr. Javier Orozco, Executive Director of Human Dignity and Intercultural Affairs for the Archdiocese of St. Louis, and Sister Tracey Horan, Associate Director of Education and Advocacy at the Kino Border Initiative, about the different ways in which Catholics can serve our immigrant brothers and sisters. They shared their experiences at the Southern Border, in pastoral ministry at the archdiocesan level, and in the political arena through lobbying, to provide a broad picture of how the Church advocates for immigrants and refugees in our country.

    58 min

  4. AUG 13

    Judy Henderson, Wrongfully Convicted

    Judy Henderson is a prominent advocate for criminal justice reform and women’s rights. She was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1983 and spent over thirty years in the Missouri prison system before her release in 2017. While incarcerated, Judy became a dedicated activist and outspoken critic of abuses within the prison system. She led campaigns for legislation to recognize battered woman syndrome as a legal defense, and she spearheaded programs to help mothers in prison maintain connections with their children. Her courageous work earned Judy broad respect among policymakers, attorneys, and fellow inmates. Since her release, Judy has continued her justice reform advocacy beyond prison walls. She frequently speaks on panels, gives media interviews, and meets with legislators to provide insights only possible from her firsthand experience. Judy also volunteers with groups that support former inmates’ successful reentry to society. Her book "When the Light Finds Us: From a Life Sentence to a Life Transformed," can be purchased on Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

    38 min

  5. MAY 23

    Legislative Roundtable - End of Session 2025

    The Missouri Catholic Conference reviews the 2025 Missouri legislative session. Discussion includes the passage of HJR 73, the demise of the immigration bounty hunter bill, and the passage of safe baby boxes.

    29 min

  6. MAY 20

    Recap 2025 MO Immigration bills

    With the Missouri General Assembly’s 2025 legislative session ending last week, the MCC is pleased to announce that SB 72 (better known as the Bounty Hunter Bill), SB 58, and other measures that posed a threat to the dignity of immigrants in the state, did not pass and thus will not become laws. The only bill related to immigration that will become a law makes translation and interpretation services for criminal, civil, and juvenile proceedings, payable from state-allocated funds. We thank lawmakers from both parties for listening to the concerns of the Catholic Church and ultimately protecting the dignity of every person in the state of Missouri. In this video, Dr. Guillermo Villa-Trueba gives a brief recap of the immigration bills of the 2025 legislative session in Spanish (en español). Visit https://mocatholic.org/podcasts/ for more podcasts and information.

    3 min

  7. MAR 21

    Legislative Roundtable March 2025

    MCC from the Capitol

    18 min

  8. FEB 1

    Legislative Roundtable January 2025

    The MCC discusses the latest bills and upcoming 2025 legislative session focusing on immigration, criminal justice, child tax credits and abortion.

    23 min
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About

In this podcast produced by the Missouri Catholic Conference (MCC), we will dive deeper into public policy issues from a Catholic perspective.

Information

  • Creator
    Missouri Catholic Conference
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 MCC from the Capitol
  • Show Website
    MCC from the Capitol

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