Detroit — The Church’s public policy arm in Michigan won some minor battles advocating on behalf of the poor in regards to welfare reform. But at the end of the day, the Michigan Catholic Conference voiced disappointment in cuts to the state’s welfare program that they say will “create wider cracks through which more people will fall.”

In mid-July, the Michigan Senate passed two house bills that would help Gov. Rick Snyder’s administration cut $65 million from the 2011-12 Department of Human Services budget. The resulting legislation would put a 48-month lifetime limit on welfare assistance for Michigan’s neediest families. It also would strengthen penalties for those who are found not to be in compliance with the new laws – in some cases leading to a lifetime ban on receiving benefits.

“From the beginning of this legislative session Michigan Catholic Conference has consistently stated that a clear indicator of the moral strength of a society is the assistance it provides its most needy citizens,” said MCC Vice President for Public Policy Tom Hickson in a statement after the bills passed the State Senate.

While the result of the legislation will be 13,000 needy individuals and families in Michigan seeing an end to their welfare assistance, some of the provisions that the Church fought for in the legislation were approved.

For one, an exemption on the lifetime limit for assistance was made for those with disabilities and their parents and caregivers. The number of hours an individual is able to work while receiving assistance also was increased. And a provision made earlier in the year for victims of domestic violence was maintained.

As of early this week, the Michigan House was expected to pass the measure for Gov. Snyder’s signature.

In his statement, Hickson stressed that “there is still significant work that should be done” to reform needed state assistance programs for families.

The MCC will urge the house to take a long look at the legislation before it passes, and try to find ways to assist especially the children of the thousands of families who will be affected, said conference spokesman David Maluchnik.

The state’s goal is to resolve its budget by the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year, but that would give representatives some opportunity to listen to concerns from their constituents and try to find some more solutions, he said.

“There is time for a legislative debate and for input from the public before these bills go into effect,” Maluchnik said.