x
Breaking News
More () »

Illinois school gets pass on contraception mandate

A Chicago-area evangelical college won a temporary victory at the Supreme Court on Thursday over an Obamacare requirement that religious non-profits provide con...
Contraceptive Pills

(CNN) — A Chicago-area evangelical college won a temporary victory at the Supreme Court on Thursday over an Obamacare requirement that religious non-profits provide contraception insurance to their workers.

Wheaton College objected to potential fines if it refused to provide coverage or sign a release form, saying that doing so would be morally wrong.

The requirement in the health law championed by President Barack Obama has been challenged broadly by groups that oppose abortion.

Earlier this week, the justices ruled 5-4 the government cannot force certain for-profit companies to offer contraception coverage under Obamacare.

The court decision in the Wheaton case, however, only gives the school a pass until the matter is decided by lower courts.

Still, the decision is an important victory for those objecting to the socially-charged requirement and follows a similar high court ruling last year for a religious charity, the Little Sisters of the Poor.

The mandate stemmed from a compromise between the Obama administration and religous-based non-profits like hospitals and faith-based universities that oppose birth control.

It would make contraceptives available under the Affordable Care Act with no co-pay but give those entities a work-around through health plans written by third parties.

The contraception issue has been a major sticking point of Obamacare, which has been the subject of enormous legal and political controversy.

The Supreme Court majority in the Wheaton case made clear it has not decided the larger legal and constitutional issues, but merely acted on the enforcement question. The issue could be presented to the justices in coming months for final review.

Wheaton is a private Christian liberal arts school located in a Chicago suburb, and is represented in court by the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty.

Before You Leave, Check This Out