Ninth Circuit Favors Washington Church in Case Against State Abortion Coverage Mandate

National Catholic Register ^ | 07/23/2021 | Matt Hadro/CNA Nation

[aimhigh]

A Washington church won its case against a state abortion coverage mandate on Thursday, in a ruling by a federal appeals court.

Cedar Park Church in Bothell, Washington had filed a complaint in March 2019 regarding a state law that required employers – including churches – to cover abortions if their health plans also included maternity coverage. While state law allowed religious groups not to pay for abortion coverage, it required it to be available to enrollees; the church argued that it could not find a health plan without abortion coverage included.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday ruled that the church had “sufficient” cause to claim an injury in the case, and that injury was “fairly traceable to SB 6219,” the state abortion coverage mandate.

[aimhigh]

The opinion is found at : https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2021/07/19/19-15658.pdf

[Tupelo]

Whatell? The 9th circus has made a common sense ruling?
I think I just saw two Hampshires fly by my window.

[rockabyebaby]

Soooo, what you’re saying is....hell has frozen over!

[ScottinVA]

President Trump’s choices for the 9th Circuit no doubt help sway this.

[TChad]

President Trump’s choices for the 9th Circuit no doubt help sway this.

Trump appointed 10 judges to the 9th Circuit.

[pepsi_junkie]

I think one of Trump's least heralded successes was in reshaping the 9th circuit court. He laid an egg with SCOTUS but the 9th circuit has been making some reasonable rulings in the past couple of years and it's not a coincidence.

And it's extremely important now that the default for Robert's SCOTUS is to simply refuse to hear any cases that are important or in any way controversial, in effect rubber stamping lower court rulings.