Liberty University's challenge to the health law has a day in appellate court

May 18 2013

Mathew Staver, the university's lawyer, told the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel that Liberty would face millions of dollars in penalties if it refuses to provide employee health insurance that violates its religious beliefs.

The Associated Press/Washington Post: Appeals Court In Va. Hears Christian University's Suit Against Obama Health Care Law
A Liberty University lawyer urged a federal appeals court to overturn the Obama administration's health care reform law Thursday, arguing that it violates the school's religious rights by requiring it to provide insurance coverage for abortion-inducing drugs. Mathew Staver told a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the conservative Christian university founded by Jerry Falwell faces millions of dollars in penalties if it refuses to provide employee health insurance that violates its religious beliefs (5/16).

Politico: Liberty University Pivots In Health Law Challenge
Judges on the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday appeared skeptical that Liberty University can challenge the Obama administration's rule that most employers provide contraceptives in their employee health plans. But at least one of the judges suggested that the health reform law's employer mandate could be at risk since last year's Supreme Court health care ruling narrowed the Commerce Clause (Haberkorn, 5/17).