Courts Rejects Crisis Pregnancy Center's Challenge to Contraceptive Coverage Regulations
Last week a federal court in Pennsylvania rejected yet another challenge to the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive coverage regulations. This challenge was a bit different than many of the others: it was brought by a non-religious organization and its three employees. The organization claims that it is morally opposed to birth control and that the Equal Protection Clause entitles it to the same exemption as houses of worship; the employees claim that they have a right, under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, to exclude contraceptives from their own insurance coverage (even though nobody is forcing them to use the coverage). The plaintiffs are represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, which also represents March for Life in a similar lawsuit in federal court in Washington, DC.
ICYMI – Senator Hatch Used Floor Time to Promote Harmful Religious Refusals
Last week, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) concluded his sixth speech in a series of floor speeches devoted to the topic of religious liberty. Senator Hatch’s speeches have covered everything from the history of religious freedom to threats to religious liberty abroad. Or at least, he has covered everything from his point of view of what religious liberty means.