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| Thomas More Society Vice President Peter Breen |
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the Illinois Baptist State
Association, the Southland Smiles dental practice and the Rock River Cartage
freight company in the Sangamon County Circuit Court. It charges that
requiring all health insurance plans to include coverage for elective abortion
violates the religious rights of those who believe abortion kills a human
being.
The lawsuit seeks an injunction that would prevent the state of Illinois from
enforcing the abortion coverage requirement against employers and insurance
companies.
“This forced coverage of abortion is a blatant violation of the religious
and conscience rights of Illinoisans,” said Thomas More Society Vice President Peter Breen. “While the secular forces behind this mandate often
erroneously object to any influence of religion on the state, here they had
no hesitation in wielding state power against our sincerely held,
common-sense religious beliefs, which compel us to avoid paying for health
insurance coverage of abortion.”
“Governor Pritzker and his administration have run roughshod over the
religious freedoms of Illinoisans, from shuttering churches during COVID-19,
to forcing people of faith to pay for elective abortions,” Breen continued.
“The people of Illinois shouldn’t have to sue to have their fundamental
religious rights recognized, but just as we succeeded in reopening our
state’s churches through vigorous court actions, we will fight this abortion
insurance mandate until it is reversed.”
