A federal judge has granted the owners of a Colorado heating-and-cooling company a temporary injunction against the new Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requirement that businesses cover emergency contraception in their insurance plans.
The Newland family, Catholic owners of Hercules Industries Inc., filed a lawsuit stating that the requirement – which includes coverage of the morning-after pill and sterilization – would force the owners to violate their religious convictions. Judge John Kane granted a temporary injunction, basing his decision on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a 1993 statute that requires the federal government to consider the rights of faith groups when crafting policy.
CT has reported on the controversial HHS contraception mandate and how faith-based groups have joined the debate, including a high-profile lawsuit by Wheaton College.
