A federal district court in California ruled Thursday that a state law requiring churches to pay for elective abortions in their health insurance plans is unconstitutional.
This from thelibertyloft.com.
California Governor Gavin Newsom
Three California churches, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, in 2015 challenged the constitutionality of California’s Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, which mandates that companies—including churches and other religious organizations—include coverage for elective abortions in their employee group health plans.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California on Thursday sided with the churches, stating that Mary Watanabe, the director of the California Department of Managed Health Care,
[H]as not shown [she] lacks other means of achieving [her] desired goal without imposing a substantial burden on the exercise of religion by [plaintiffs].
The court wrote:
The director’s denial of the churches’ request for exceptions to accommodate their religious beliefs, based solely on the fact that those requests did not originate with a plan, was not narrowly tailored to serve a compelling interest.
[T]o ensure that employers cannot deny women coverage of abortion services.
Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel Jeremiah Galus said:
For years, California has unconstitutionally targeted faith-based organizations, so we’re pleased the court has found this mandate unconstitutional and will allow the churches we represent to operate freely according to their religious beliefs.
No matter which side of the abortion argument you fall into, this is one step forward for We the People in our fight to regain our American culture.
The communist push to control every aspect of our lives is destroying our once-great Constitutional Republic.
God speed to Conservatism.
