Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) is representing three Christian churches challenging the mandate. ADF argues that internal emails between Planned Parenthood and the state show that the abortion business pushed the state to enforce its abortion coverage mandate against religious organizations. Religious groups were not originally included in the 2014 mandate.
Pro-life groups filed legal motions against the mandate, arguing that the Weldon Amendment, a 2005 law barring the federal government from funding state and local governments which force health care entities to cover abortions. The Obama administration rejected the motion, claiming that the Weldon Amendment had not been violated.
In January of this year, the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services ruled that California did violate the Weldon Amendment; threatening to enforce it by withholding federal funding unless the state stopped mandating groups to provide abortion coverage against their conscientious beliefs.
So far, the state has refused to comply with the demand.
