Appeals court green lights Hobby Lobby's legal challenge to contraceptive coverage rule

A federal appeals court in Denver said Thursday that companies, whether they are for profit or not, have religious rights and that the challenge brought by Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. and its sister company can go forward.

The Associated Press: Court: Hobby Lobby Can Challenge Health Care Law
An appeals court said Thursday that Hobby Lobby and a sister company that sells Christian books and supplies can fight the nation's new health care law on religious grounds, ruling the portion of the law that requires them to offer certain kinds of birth control to their employees is particularly onerous, and suggesting the companies shouldn't have to pay millions of dollars in fines while their claims are considered (Wyatt, 6/27).

The Wall Street Journal's Law Blog: For-Profit Corporations Have Religious Rights Too, Says Court
A divided federal appeals court said Thursday that companies, whether for profit or not, have religious rights. The ruling came in a challenge by arts and crafts chain Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. and Christian bookstore chain Mardel Inc. to a part of President Barack Obama's 2010 health care overhaul -- namely, a requirement that employee health insurance plans include free contraceptive coverage (Palazzolo, 6/27).

Los Angeles Times: Poll: Hobby Lobby Vs. Contraception Mandate -- Who's Right?
The Supreme Court settled one of the biggest legal fights over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare) by ruling last year that its requirement that virtually every adult American obtain insurance was constitutional. But several other fights are ongoing, including an equally bitter one over the law's requirement that employers include free contraception in their insurance plans. A Denver appeals court handed the law's opponents a victory Thursday on the latter issue, but it may just set the stage for a return to the Supreme Court (McGough and Healey, 6/27).

Reuters: U.S. Court Accepts Challenge To Obama Contraception Rule
Arts and crafts chain Hobby Lobby may be exempt from a requirement in U.S. President Barack Obama's 2010 health care overhaul to provide free contraception coverage in its employee health insurance plans, a federal appeals court ruled. Thursday's decision by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver could spare the family-owned company from potentially paying millions of dollars in fines as soon as next week for not complying with the law (Baynes, 6/27).