Federal Judge Overturns Missouri Law That Would Let Employers Deny Contraception To Their Workers

[ProSense]

Federal Judge Overturns Missouri Law That Would Let Employers Deny Contraception To Their Workers

By Sy Mukherjee

Citing the constitutional supremacy of federal laws over state-level legislation, U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig has struck down a 2012 Missouri law that “required insurers to issue policies without contraception coverage if individuals or employers objected because of religious or moral beliefs.”

The law was meant to effectively nullify Obamacare provisions requiring all employers to provide contraceptive coverage without an additional co-pay. It was passed after the Missouri state legislature overrode Gov. Jay Nixon’s (D) veto of the measure.

In an effort to mollify concerns from conservative critics of the contraception mandate, the Obama Administration recently issued clarifying rules on which employers — specifically, religious organizations — will be exempt from the Obamacare provision. Still, that hasn’t stopped for-profit companies like the crafts chain Hobby Lobby from bending over backwards to avoid complying with the law and providing their workers with affordable birth control.

- more -

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/03/18/1736301/judge-overturns-missouri-birth-control/

[RedCloud]

1. Victory over the forces of evil!