Free Republic

It wasn't enough that Hobby Lobby won in a landmark Supreme Courty case for employers being able to deny women reproductive healthcare coverage. Now, the conservative-led company wants to also dictate which restrooms women can use at work. That is, if you happen to be a transgender woman. Megan Sommerville, a 16-year veteran of the arts and crafts franchise, began her transition in 2009 and had her name legally changed in 2010. But she was nevertheless recently written up at her Aurora, Ill., store when she began using the women's restroom. According to Sommerville, store managment said that she'd only...

There’s big trouble in little Progressivetown, folks. That’s trouble with a capital T, which rhymes with We, as in We (meaning Daily KOS) won’t be going to Netroots Nation next year because it’s being held in Arizona. Netroots Nation announced two days ago that Phoenix, Arizona would host its 2015 conference. I wish the conference the best, but it will unfortunately take place without Daily Kos’ attendance or assistance. I made very clear in the wake of Arizona’s passage of SB 1070 that I would not be setting foot in the state, nor spending a dime in it until the...

Spurred on by the Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby ruling, Eden Foods CEO Michael Potter has revived a March 2013 case to nix coverage of all birth control from his employees’ healthcare plans. In turn, many shoppers have soured on the organic food giant and are boycotting its products. “In accordance with his Catholic faith, Potter believes that any action which either before, at the moment of, or after sexual intercourse, is specifically intended to prevent procreation, whether as an end or means -- including abortifacients and contraception -- is wrong,” Erin Mersino, Eden’s lawyer from the conservative Thomas More...

There has not been much good, or encouraging, news in America over the past months, and it is due to the perpetual assault on the people by a cabal of un-American groups led by Republicans and empowered by conservatives on the Supreme Court. To their credit, Democrats have attempted to assuage the damage imposed by the conservative Court, particularly the Hobby Lobby ruling, but Republicans dutifully protected the religious right and betrayed American women. There were plenty of Americans concerned the religious right would use the Court’s ruling as freedom to discriminate against the gay community, and within 24 hours...

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin (D) has some explaining to do. Although the senator has proclaimed to be pro-life, his recent support of a Democratic bill to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling on Hobby Lobby v. Burwell, suggests otherwise. This failed legislation would have reversed a decision that protects the Christian company’s religious freedom and avoid providing employees abortion-inducing drugs. Click here to sign up for daily pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com joemanchin2Manchin explained his support for the bill as such: “Today, I voted in support of overturning the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision that ruled for-profit companies can opt...

Should people with strong religious convictions prepare to violate their beliefs or steer clear of corporate activity in the United States? Should Hobby Lobby, owned by evangelical Christians who opposed having to pay for coverage of abortion-inducing drugs, have shut down its 575 outlets across the U.S. rather than challenging the federal government’s contraception mandate in court? Absurd as it sounds, Senator Chuck Schumer seems to be proposing just that. Schumer was one of the backers of a bill, mercifully blocked in the Senate for now, that would have overridden the Supreme Court’s protection of Hobby Lobby’s religious freedom....

“Too often … we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought,” President John Kennedy famously asserted before Yale's class of 1962. Denouncing political debates that “bear little or no relation to the actual problems the United States faces,” Kennedy urged policymakers to think again before engaging in “false dialogues” that “distract our attention and divide our efforts.” “The very future of freedom depends,” he believed, “upon the sensible and clearheaded management of the domestic affairs of the United States” and a “vigorous economy” -- quaint concerns 52-years hence. Because today's political discourse is so dishonest and domestic...

“Too often … we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought,” President Kennedy famously asserted before Yale’s class of 1962. Denouncing political debates that “bear little or no relation to the actual problems the United States faces,” Kennedy urged policymakers to Think Again before engaging in “false dialogues” that “distract our attention and divide our efforts.” He believed “the very future of freedom depends upon the sensible and clearheaded management of the domestic affairs of the United States” and a “vigorous economy” — quaint concerns 52 years hence. Because today’s political discourse is so dishonest and domestic...

One day after Live Action Films released their second under cover video exposing the despicable way that Planned Parenthood “counsels” teens about sex by using BDSM, sexual fetishes, etc. Planned Parenthood posted a tweet saying that kids needed healthy information on sex! “Teens—whether you like the idea of them having sex or not—deserve information that can keep them healthy: http://ow.ly/zehUb” Teens Sex Ed July 2014 To no one’s surprise the link takes you an article trashing abstinence written by none other than NARAL Board member Jessica Valenti who recently called for women to have sex inside Hobby Lobby: Jessica Valenti...

Sen. Elizabeth Warren now says that last year’s government shutdown was about birth control. Warren did not make the remark in an off-the-cuff setting. She made it in a prepared speech. Warren said it on the floor of the Senate while supporting a bill that she knows has absolutely zero chance of becoming law. “Remember last year’s government shutdown that nearly tanked our economy?” Warren asked. “That fight started with a GOP effort to hold the whole operation of the federal government hostage in order to try to force Democrats and the president to let employers deny workers access to...

Last week, Fox News host Megyn Kelly destroyed Nancy Pelosi over her outrageous comments (lies) on the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision. Tuesday night on The Kelly File, Megyn set her sights on Jon Stewart for misleading and dividing the public on the case. Spoiler: Same results.Incidentally, the Supreme Court cited the government’s own definition of the four birth control methods opposed by Hobby Lobby (out of 20 required by ObamaCare). But hey, what difference does it make?(video at link)

Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, who ran as a pro-life advocate when he won a Senate term in 2006 and 2012, but who has disappointed pro-life advocates with repeated pro-abortion votes, continues to abandon his pro-life views.A couple years ago, he voted against a measure to revoke taxpayer funding from the Planned Parenthood abortion business. Today, Casey voted for a bill to “overturn” the Supreme Court decision protecting Hobby Lobby from being forced to pay for drugs that may cause abortions.Michael Ciccocioppo, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, told LifeNews he is disappointed that Casey continues to abandon is publicly-stated...

<p>WASHINGTON—Senate Democrats' effort to push back against the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision stalled Wednesday when their bill to restore employers' responsibility to provide contraception coverage under the health law was defeated on a procedural vote.</p> <p>In a 56-43 vote, which was largely along party lines, Democrats came up short of the 60 votes needed to advance their legislation. It sought to prevent companies from relying on a religious-freedom law to avoid complying with the Affordable Care Act's requirement to cover all forms of contraception approved by the government without charging workers a copayment.</p>

Senate Democrats’ effort to reverse the Supreme Court’s “Hobby Lobby” ruling on birth control could not overcome a Republican filibuster Wednesday, exposing the partisan divide over how to balance women’s health rights with religious liberty ahead of November’s congressional contests. The chamber’s 56-43 vote was not enough to green-light the “Not My Boss’ Business Act” for final consideration, even though Republicans Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Mark Kirk of Illinois and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska broke party ranks and voted to put the bill on the floor. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada Democrat, changed his vote to “no” at...

Breaking: Partisan gridlock blocks Hobby Lobby bill. Friend, This afternoon, Republicans in the Senate filibustered the bill that would undo the impacts of the recent Hobby Lobby decision. This bill would have ensured that employers can't stand between a woman and her doctor and protected the rights of all employees to have access to basic health care. This partisan gridlock is outrageous. We deserve to have a real debate on this bill, and it deserves to have a vote. Nearly 20,000 supporters like you have added their name demanding action. The momentum is with us to fix this. Today’s filibuster...

This is the Senate bill to reverse the Hobby Lobby decision: S.2578 -- Protect Women's Health From Corporate Interference Act of 2014 (Placed on Calendar Senate - PCS) S 2578 PCS Calendar No. 459 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2578 To ensure that employers cannot interfere in their employees' birth control and other health care decisions. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 9, 2014 Mrs. MURRAY (for herself, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BEGICH, Mr. BENNET, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. BOOKER, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BROWN, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. FRANKEN, Mrs. GILLIBRAND,...

– Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) expressed opposition Friday to a proposed plan to allow women to buy birth control without a prescription, saying the proposal would put “more barriers between women and contraceptives.”"I believe it would put more barriers to women's health and contraception," Udall said at a July 11 press conference, according to the Associated Press.The plan proposed by the man challenging Udall for his Senate seat – Rep. Cory Gardener (R-Colo.) - would give women over-the-counter access to birth control, but customers would have to pay the cost charged by drug stores and other retailers for contraceptives.At the press...

AURORA, Ill. – A Hobby Lobby store in Illinois is facing a discrimination complaint after a ‘transgender’ employee was told that he may not use the women’s restroom until he has reconstructive surgery to switch from male to female reproductive organs. The employee, who goes by the name Meggan Sommerville, also professes to be a Christian. He has worked for Hobby Lobby since 1998, at which time he identified as male.However, in 2009, Sommerville began transitioning to look like a woman and changed his name. According to Sommerville, Hobby Lobby accommodated him by changing his gender in the company records...

You know it’s bad when the liberal Washington Post takes top pro-abortion Democrats to task for their misstatements, exaggeration and overblown comments in reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision to protect Hobby Lobby.We at LifeNews.com have profiled the myriad of ways in which the Post, over the years, has been a leader in media bias by virtue of its one-sided reporting on pro-life issues. Amazingly, the liberal giant took Pelosi, Reid and other top pro-abortion Democrats to task.It was bad enough when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said “five white men” on the Supreme Court made the decision to protect...

I'm not sure that anyone can reason with Harry Reid right now. He is one angry white dude. Before we get started here, do me a favor. Go to the Internet and search "supreme court justice Clarence Thomas" and click on "images." And leave it up while you read. Harry Reid is railing against "white men" on the U.S. Supreme Court. Harry, Senate majority leader and one grumpy old man, is angry that the Court ruled 5-4 in favor of Hobby Lobby recently in a major case involving religious freedom. In case you don't know what the Hobby Lobby decision...