The roots of JRLC
The year 2011 marks the 40th anniversary for the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition! But to find the roots of the JRLC, one must travel beyond the first legislative session for the JRLC in 1971. The JRLC has its roots in a letter sent in the summer of 1968 by the Reverend Edward Flahavan of the Office of Urban Affairs for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to Reverend Willis J. Merriman of the Minnesota Council of Churches. In the letter, Reverend Flahavan proposes “it would be beneficial for our mutual offices to discuss possible cooperation for the upcoming 1969 Legislative Session.” This initiated negotiations for how to combine the lobbying efforts of the Catholic Church and Protestant Denominations. Overtures were also made to the Minnesota Rabbinical Association. Although the union of these two organizations did not coalesce by the 1969 Legislative Session as originally hoped, in 1970 it was officially announced that Minnesota Council of Churches and Minnesota Catholic Conference were forming a “Joint Church Legislative Coalition,” or JCLC. Within a week, the Minnesota Rabbinical Association had signed on as well, and the JRLC was born.
However, the JRLC still had many changes to undergo before it would look like it does today. In 1972, the JRLC held its first “Day on the Hill,” an annual tradition that continues today. In 1974, the Minnesota Rabbinical Association was replaced with the Jewish Community Relations Council. The Joint Religious Education and Research Fund was started in 1976, another program that continues to this day. In 1996, the American Muslim Center of Minnesota became an observing member of the JRLC. The Islamic community became an official part of the Joint Religious Legislative Coalition in 2003, now represented by the Islamic Center of Minnesota. Although the JRLC has changed and grown since its first legislative session, it remains committed to the same fundamental principles in 2011 as it did in 1971.
JRLC's summer intern, Nate Hart-Anderson, has been compiling research of JRLC's beginnings as part of his summer projects. We've enjoyed having him in the office and he's done a great job with this research. Thanks Nate!
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