Little Sisters: Cato Institute Targets the Affordable Care Act—Yet Again
This article by Americans United's Senior Litigation Counsel Gregory M. Lipper originally appeared on Harvard Law's Bill of Health blog.
Fresh of its unsuccessful attempt to gut the Affordable Care Act in King v. Burwell, the Cato Institute is back for more. This time, Cato has filed an amicus brief in support of Supreme Court review in Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged v. Burwell. This is one of the many, many (many) challenges brought under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) by nonprofit organizations to an accommodation, offered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), exempting religious nonprofits from providing contraceptive coverage to their employees. To take advantage of the accommodation, nonprofits need only provide written notice to the government of their objection and the name of their insurance provider or plan administrator. At that point, the government arranges for the nonprofit organization’s insurance company or plan administrator to provide the coverage at no cost to the nonprofit or its employees.
Alabama Taxpayers May Have To Pay $200,000 In Legal Fees After Losing Marriage Equality Fight
Even Justice Scalia Would Tell Kim Davis To #DoYourJob Or Find A New One
Justice Antonin Scalia, as we all know, was very much against the Supreme Court's June decision on marriage equality. His scathing dissent was a veritable cornucopia of sarcasm, bewilderment and ire. But even he would agree that Religious Right poster girl Kim Davis should either do the job she is paid by the taxpayers to do or find another position that better fits her version of morality.
Kim Davis Defied Highest Court In The Land, Now Only Answers to "God's Authority"
When we started this post, the Supreme Court had just denied Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis' plea for a stay of the preliminary injunction requiring her to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. It was a cheerful post, a post rejoicing to see that justice system worked. The sun was shining, the Supreme Court stuck to its decision, and all was right with the world.
And then we saw this.
Alliance Defending Freedom Hypocritical In March For Life Case
Ted Cruz Predicts That Anti-Christian Persecution Will Soon Be Arriving In A Town Near You
Fresh off his rally for "religious freedom" in Iowa, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz warned an audience at the South Carolina "We Stand With God" rally that anti-Christian persecution, like the kind that terrorizes Christian businesses who refuse to serve same-sex couples, might be coming for their state.
Kim Davis Watch 2015: Rowan County Clerk Asks Supreme Court For Relief Before Marriage License Ruling Goes Into Effect
Just a day after the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals denied her motion for a stay of the preliminary injunction pending appeal, Kim Davis has reached out to the Supreme Court to issue the stay.
Georgia State Senator Still Fuming Over Business Interference In His Anti-LGBT Bill
If you haven't had a chance to read Mark Joseph Stern's wry article about Georgia Sen. Josh McKoon, then you are missing out on all the ways the esteemed lawmaker has been trying to justify the failure of a "religious liberty" bill that died last spring.
Texas Hilton Hotel Chef Allegedly Refused To Cater A Same-Sex Wedding
Deja Vu All Over Again: Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis Defies Court Order A Second Time
Edited 8/27/2015, 2:50pm
Kim Davis is now planning to ask the Supreme Court to put the injunction on hold on Friday.
Kim Davis, embattled Rowan County clerk, received some bad news last night: the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals denied her motion for a stay of the preliminary injunction pending appeal. This means that Davis must begin issuing marriage licenses to both same-sex and different-sex couples, something that she has refused to do since the Supreme Court's marriage equality decision two months ago, despite a court order on August 12.
Kentucky County Clerk (No, Not That One) Would Rather Die Than Do His Job
Not content with letting Kim Davis be the only Kentucky county clerk publicly humiliating herself with outdated opinions, Casey Davis (no relation) of Casey County took to the airwaves on "The Tom Roten Morning Show”.
Catholic Hospital Retracts Contraceptive Refusal Decision After ACLU Delivers Smackdown
Rachel Miller and her husband had made up their minds: with one small child at home and another on the way, they decided that their soon-to-be family of four didn't need any further additions. So when scheduling her C-section with her doctor at Mercy Medical Center in California, Rachel asked that her doctor perform a post-partum tubal ligation as a contraceptive measure. The doctor agreed. That should have been the end of the discussion. Unfortunately, Mercy Medical Center had other ideas.
Martyr Movie: Ted Cruz’s Claims About ‘Religious Freedom’ Persecution Were Debunked Long Ago
ICYMI: Los Angeles Times Supports OLC Memo Review
Last week, 130 national organizations, including Americans United, sent a letter to President Obama asking him review and withdraw the OLC Memo and the "troubling policy [which] allows faith-based organizations to take government funds to perform social services for the public and ignore laws that prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of religion" contained therein.
John Oliver Makes Us Love Him More With His Take On LGBT Discrimination
‘Just Go Somewhere Else!’: A Cavalier Dismissal Of A Serious Concern
If the rights of individuals are being violated, if people are the victims of unfair treatment, if they are made to accept lesser status in a society that strives for equality, if they are being told, in effect, “Get out, I do not serve your kind here,” then decent people have a right – indeed, a duty – to rectify that by all legal means, including litigation.
Mixed News In The World of Contraception Accommodations for Religious Non-Profits
Wyoming Judge Under Investigation For Stating That She Would Not Marry Same-Sex Couples
Pinedale municipal judge and circuit court magistrate Ruth Neely is under investigation after being quoted in a newspaper story in October 2014 saying that she would not marry same-sex couples. This comment came less than three months after U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl of Casper struck down the state's ban on marriage for Wyoming LGBT residents.
Down With Discrimination: Broad Coalition Of 130 Organizations Asks President Obama To End Taxpayer-Funded Discrimination
President Barack Obama’s White House website stresses that he is a civil rights president who is “leading the fight to protect everyone – no matter who you are, where you’re from, what you look like, or who you love.” Yet, the president continues to enforce a policy that allows taxpayer-funded religious discrimination. This troubling policy allows faith-based organizations to take government funds to perform social services for the public and ignore laws that prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of religion.