Tag: Missouri

Appeal of Missouri court ruling on HHS birth control mandate

U.S. District Judge Carole Jackson of St. Louis has dismissed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services mandate brought by Frank O’Brien and his company, O’Brien Industrial Holdings LLC of St. Louis.  The suit challenged the federal government regulation that requires O’Brien to provide employees with insurance for contraceptives, embryocides and surgical sterilization.  A Catholic, O’Brien objects to facilitating any of the services for religious reasons.  The judge ruled that the indirect support did not substantially burden the free exercise of O’Brien’s religious beliefs.  Lawyer Frank Manion of the American Center for Law and Justice has filed an appeal on behalf of O’Brien.  [ACLJ comment][St. Louis-Post Dispatch][Religion Dispatches]

 

Missouri House and Senate pass protection of conscience bills

House Bill 1541 has been passed by the Missouri House of Representatives.  The bill defines ‘conscience’ as “the religious, moral, or ethical principles held by a medical professional or a health care institution.”  The bill ensures that individuals and institutions cannot be compelled to participate in a number of defined procedures or research activities to which they object for reasons of conscience, and protects them against discrimination. Meanwhile, the Missouri Senate passed SB749, a bill drafted to prevent employers from being forced to provide insurance coverage for abortion, contraception or sterilization.[Missourian]

 

Bills in states proposed in reaction to controversial federal birth control mandate

Following a hearing held by a committee of the Idaho legislature, Rep. Carlos Bilbao will revise a bill he has proposed to prevent a federal birth control regulation from forcing objecting employers to provide insurance for surgical sterilization, contraceptives, and embryocidal drugs. [Deseret News]  Senator John Moolenaar has introduced the Religious Liberty and Conscience Protection Act in the Michigan state legislature [Midland Daily News].  It is a broad protection of conscience bill that covers individual health care providers and facilities,both with respect to direct participation and direct or indirect payment for objectionable procedures. Bills have also been proposed in Missouri and Arizona to counter the federal regulation.  If the bills pass, the federal government may go to court to have them struck down in order to enforce the federal law.  [ABC News]

 

Protection of conscience bill introduced in Missouri

Missouri Senate Bill 657 is drafted to prevent health care workers or institutions from being compelled to participate in any service or procedure to which they object for reasons of conscience.  It is intended to protect them against criminal, civil and administrative proceedings, and from discrimination for the exercise of their convictions.[Lifenews]