Joint Religious Legislative Coalition

02/16/2026

We will be holding our February webinar on the 26th! This will be a longer webinar, running from 7:00-8:30PM. Our speaker for the evening with be Nathan Stock from Common Ground Minnesota. Register here!

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/a6Ui6RQkRiGyfyDi9_o6yg #/registration

Nathan Stock will speak on current research regarding the dynamics of religious and political violence, as well as what can be done to address growing concerns around politically motivated violence in our society.

Nathan has over 20 years of experience working to resolve conflicts and strengthen democracy around the world and in the United States. Since 2017, he has been working to reduce political violence in the United States. He just finished a five-year stint at the Carter Center, where he led an effort to establish anti-political violence networks in six states. Nathan is currently on a contract with Common Ground USA to help them counter political violence in Minnesota. In addition to his U.S. work, Nathanhas substantial experience in the Middle East, including nine years supporting the late President Jimmy Carter's peacemaking in the region. He has published on U.S. polarization and political violence and taught undergraduate courses on political dialogue. Nathan is also an affiliate of the Middle East Institute, where he has written extensively on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Nathan holds an MA in international peace and conflict resolution from American University and a BA in international relations from Colgate University.

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Addressing Political Violence Webinar, Nathan Stock. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

02/06/2026

The JRLC Day on the Hill is only a month away on March 9, and there's still time to register here:

https://www.jrlc.org/day_on_the_hill_2026

Many thanks to the Diocese of St. Cloud for signing on to be the third sponsor of our event!

The largest and most inclusive interfaith public interest group in Minnesota.

01/29/2026

We're thrilled to announce that the JRLC Day on the Hill has two new sponsors—The Grove United Methodist Church in Woodbury and the Minnesota Rabbinical Association! Congregations or organizations can get more information on sponsoring by emailing [email protected].

01/24/2026

Sign up here for our Day on the Hill, March 9, 2026:

https://www.jrlc.org/day_on_the_hill_2026

01/20/2026

The 2026 Legislative Session is fast approaching. We are excited to partner with you in advocating for policies that address food security, affordable housing, homelessness, and gun violence prevention at the State Capitol!

On January 22nd, we are holding our 2026 Legislative Kickoff webinar. Please consider joining us to discuss our priorities for 2026, which are outlined below and on our website.

We hope to see you there! It's Thursday, January 22nd at 7:00PM

Join us as we dive deeper into the nuances of our priorities and discuss our approach for the 2026 session.

Register now at this link:

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: 2026 Policy Priority Webinar!. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

01/15/2026

We've just released our 2026 Legislative Agenda! This session we're focusing on...

Food Security:

The JRLC supports allocating $4 million in state funding for the Minnesota Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) grant program, which would replace funds previously provided through the federal local food purchasing grant program that were revoked in the Big Beautiful Bill.

Affordable Housing and Homelessness:

The JRLC supports increasing the base appropriation for the Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program (FHPAP) to improve housing stability and reduce homelessness. The JRLC also supports allocating $400 million in Housing Infrastructure Bonds (HIBs) to build and maintain affordable housing throughout Minnesota.

Online Gambling Expansion:

The JRLC opposes the expansion of gambling. In the context of sports betting, the JRLC’s advocacy emphasizes harm mitigation measures.

Secondary Priorities

The JRLC in coalition with other advocates.

Security Funding for Nonprofits in State Budget:

The JRLC supports JCRC’s efforts to pass an ongoing allocation in the Minnesota state budget for the Supplemental Nonprofit Security Grant Program.

Gun Violence Prevention:

The JRLC supports a ban on high-capacity magazines being purchased, transferred, or used in our state, joining the 14 other states that have already enacted such bans. The JRLC also supports efforts to improve access and funding for mental health treatment and intervention programs.

For the detailed 2026 Legislative Agenda document, click below!