Federal judge dismisses EWTN lawsuit against HHS contraception mandate
Source: AL.com
U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Lovelace Blackburn on Monday dismissed EWTN Global Catholic Network's lawsuit challenging the federal mandate that employee healthcare plans must provide coverage for contraception, voluntary sterilization procedures and abortion-inducing drugs.
"While we are extremely disappointed that Judge Blackburn did not rule on the constitutional issues that were at the heart of the EWTN lawsuit, we are not surprised by the decision," said EWTN President and Chief Executive Officer Michael P. Warsaw, in a statement issued today by EWTN. "In every lawsuit filed against the mandate, the government has made promise after promise to amend its unjust rules. As a result, nearly everyone, including the courts, is left waiting to see what the government might or might not do to address the serious issues of conscience that have been raised since the first set of rules were published over a year ago."
Blackburn's order found that the "real prospect of harm from a concrete regulatory mandate" gives EWTN adequate legal standing to file the lawsuit. However, because the government has promised to yet further amend the mandate's rules, Blackburn's opinion held that the moving target of the mandate was not yet "ripe" for review, and that the promise of future revisions to the mandate made the court reluctant to rule at this time. Blackburn's opinion concludes that "in this case, common sense weighs in favor of withholding judicial review until the new regulations are created and finalized. At that point, if EWTN still has objections, it may then file suit."
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EWTN filed its lawsuit Feb. 9, 2012 against the Department of Health & Human Services, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and other government agencies seeking to stop the imposition of the contraception mandate as well as asking the court for a declaratory judgment that the mandate is unconstitutional. Luther Strange, Attorney General of the State of Alabama, filed a motion to join EWTN on March 22, 2012 as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Blackburn's decision essentially dismissed that motion as well.
Read more: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/03/federal_judge_dismisses_ewtn_l.html#incart_river_default
joesdaughter
(243 posts)The issue is still unsettled by this decision. However, if the owner the company I work for is a vegitarian can they prohibit coverage for me if I got hurt in a hunting accident or get ecoli from some meat product I ate ?
How does denying medical care based on YOUR* religion not infringe on MY spiritual beliefs/non-beliefs ?
*RCC
This makes me absolutely crazy!
indivisibleman
(482 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)chosen, as they wish.
I have a friend who likes to complain that "she" should not have to see her taxes support abortion rights.
I always reply that MY taxes should not go towards illegal invasions of sovereign nations, but that isn't how democracy works.
indivisibleman
(482 posts)contraception=the pill, condoms etc. (Something Catholics use but claim they don't)
voluntary sterilization procedures=hysterectomies, tubal ligation, vasectomies. (Very common procedures for all people)
abortion-inducing drugs=day after pills and some contraceptives.
All pretty normal and necessary things for good health.
Freddie
(9,232 posts)Are **not** "abortion inducing drugs. They prevent ovulation. This is another RW myth.
indivisibleman
(482 posts)I understand that some bc pills prevent fertilized eggs from attaching inside the uterus. Some well respected institutions have stated such. I was speaking from a right wing perspective, thus to them it is a form of abortion which is ridiculous.
Freddie
(9,232 posts)The reason behind the contraception mandate is that doctors are now recommending that a woman wait at least 2 years between pregnancies for the healthiest outcome for her and baby. Given that most married couples are not enthused about celibacy, contraception allows her to space her pregnancies in a healthy way. It's not about "lifestyle choices", it's about HEALTH. Assholes.
Dawson Leery
(19,348 posts)Archae
(46,262 posts)"Mother Angelica."
She is 90 years old and has had several strokes.
I remember especially her throwing a royal fit about the movie "Last Temptation Of Christ," wanting the movie to be banned.
Had she just kept her big mouth shut it would have died on it's own, it's an awful movie.