Hobby Lobby is an Arts and Crafts supply store, that is "the largest business to file a lawsuit against the [contraception] mandate" and yes, a Federal Judge - nominated by George W. Bush- just struck it down.
Via Fox News of all places:
In a 28-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton denied a request by Hobby Lobby to prevent the government from enforcing portions of the health care law mandating insurance coverage for contraceptives the company's Christian owners consider objectionable.
This is exactly the role of the mandate- to stop people from forcing their religious beliefs on others. And to that end, the Judge did a great job. When lawsuits on this issue started popping up, I was afraid that the mandate would be struck down on religious grounds. But apparently not! The Judge concluded:
Plaintiffs have not cited, and the court has not found, any case concluding that secular, for-profit corporations such as Hobby Lobby and Mardel have a constitutional right to the free exercise of religion," the ruling said.
Another interesting argument in the Court:
At a hearing earlier this month, a government lawyer said the drugs do not cause abortions and that the U.S. has a compelling interest in mandating insurance coverage for them.
This is a major point of contention for Republicans, and if we can win on this issue, it will really hurt their definition of life: that it begins at conception.
Critics of contraception say it is the equivalent of an abortion pill because it can prevent a fertilized egg from attaching to the uterus. The lawsuit also alleges that certain kinds of intrauterine devices can destroy an embryo by preventing it from implanting in a woman's uterus.
However, the court does concluded that these are "uncharted waters" and we should be wary because that may mean there is no precedent for this decision and it may be struck down on appeal. Any lawyer Kossack have an opinion?
However, for now, this is good news!
For your daily dose of Schadenfreude- Bryan Fischer tweets: "Thomas Jefferson mourns." I LOVE IT. But I just find it interesting at how surprised they are by the resulting decision, and how it shows the lack of knowledge they have of the Constitution. It's enlightening.