Another huge loss for women and women's healthcare. Yesterday a federal judge ruled a car dealership in Minnesota
no longer has to cover women's contraceptives:
U.S. District Judge Frank Magnuson issued an injunction against the federal government, enabling Hastings Automotive's primary owner Doug Erickson to remove contraceptives from his company's plan without facing penalties.
"It's long been by conviction to run these businesses according to my faith, and I really believe I'm stewarding these businesses and operating them as God would have me operate them," Erickson told KARE.
Chalk up another win for religious zealots and another loss for women. No word on whether the car dealership forbids wearing
fabric blends, tattoos, eating shellfish or the many other things the bible forbids.
And never mind that nearly all women in the U.S. use birth control at some point in their lives, many for medical reasons besides birth control:
"The very bottom line here is that we believe that the decision to use birth control is between a woman and her doctor, not her boss," Jennifer Aulwes of Planned Parenthood of Minnesota and South Dakota, told KARE.
"Birth control is basic health care for women and 99 percent of women have used it at some point in their lives, so today's ruling is very troubling for us."
According to those who brought the case, this is about freedom. The freedom to make medical decisions for women:
"The court's ruling today basically reaffirms the constitutional principle that every American is free to live and work according to their beliefs, and without fear of punishment by their government," Jeremy Dys, an attorney for the Liberty Institute, told KARE.
No word on what options Planned Parenthood has for an appeal on the decision.