SCOTUS Refuses to Hear Pharmacists’ Religious Liberty Case, Over Conservative Dissent

by Sam Reisman | 5:26 pm, June 28th, 2016

Over conservative dissent, the Supreme Court has refused to hear a religious liberty case, in which pharmacists challenged a Washington State regulation mandating that pharmacies dispense emergency contraception, such as Plan B, the so-called “morning after pill.”

The plaintiffs, the Stormans family, are Christians who own and operate a pharmacy and grocery store in Olympia, Wash. They filed suit against the secretary of the Washington State Department of Health over a state regulation that forbids pharmacies from “refus[ing] to deliver a drug or device to a patient because its owner objects to delivery on religious, moral or other personal grounds.”

In a dissent, Justice Samuel Alito called the case “an ominous sign.” He was joined in his dissent by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Clarence Thomas.

Alito claimed that there was evidence to suggest the state law served no legitimate purpose and, further, existed only because of “hostility to pharmacists whose religious beliefs regarding abortion and contraception are out of step with the prevailing opinion in the State.”

http://www.mediaite.com/online/scotus-refuses-to-hear-pharmacists-religious-liberty-case-over-conservative-dissent/