Written by Don Byrd
Via Religion Clause, a federal judge in Florida has issued an injunction halting Obama Administration from enforcing its latest compromise in the battle over the contraception coverage mandate for religious organizations. The White House has struggled to find a way for employees of religious nonprofits like Ave Maria University, the plaintiff in this case, to receive contraception coverage without requiring the organization itself to provide the coverage.
The rules devised by the administration have focused on the organization certifying that it is exempt as a religiously affiliated entity form the mandate, but have faced resistance from many of those organizations who argue that even participating in the certification process violates their religious liberty rights.
The 11th Circuit, which covers federal courts in Florida, earlier granted an injunction halting the previous rules for certification. The district judge’s ruling yesterday found that the Administration’s amendment of the rules did not change the process significantly enough to warrant a different decision.
