The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments March 25 in Hobby Lobby's case challenging a government mandate requiring potential abortion-inducing drugs in employee health plans. The evangelical-owned arts-and-crafts chain filed suit last year.
"My family and I are encouraged that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide our case," said Hobby Lobby CEO David Green. "This legal challenge has always remained about one thing and one thing only: the right of our family businesses to live out our sincere and deeply held religious convictions as guaranteed by the law and the Constitution. Business owners should not have to choose between violating their faith and violating the law."
If the court rules against his company, the fines would be more than $1 million a day. Green has said he would shut it all down rather than comply.
The high court will also hear arguments in a case involving a Mennonite-owned business suing over the mandate. The Hahn family owns and operates Conestoga Wood Specialties in Lancaster County, Pa. The Court has consolidated this case with Hobby Lobby and will hear both on the same day.
The Obama administration required for-profit businesses to comply with the Health and Human Services mandate by August 2012. Nonprofits—many of which are faith-based—had a so-called safe harbor until this month.
More than 90 suits are in play. To date, courts have granted 52 injunctions, halting the mandate for 33 for-profit businesses and for 19 nonprofit organizations.
In July, a federal court granted Hobby Lobby a temporary reprieve from the mandate.
"This is a major step for the Greens and their family businesses in an important fight for Americans' religious liberty," said Kyle Duncan, general counsel of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and lead lawyer for Hobby Lobby. "We are hopeful that the Supreme Court will clarify once and for all that religious freedom in our country should be protected for family business owners like the Greens."
Source: CitizenLink by Bethany Monk
