Senate majority leader vows response to Hobby Lobby decision

Jul 8 2014

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Democrats will take up legislation to address the Supreme Court's decision allowing some employers with religious objections to opt out of the health law's contraceptive mandate. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood sets up a text helpline for women who have lost or will lose contraceptive coverage.

Politico: Harry Reid: 'We're Going To Do Something' On Hobby Lobby
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday that Democrats will take up legislation in the "coming weeks" to address last month's Supreme Court decision that allowed some employers with religious objections to opt out of Obamacare's contraception mandate. Democrats on Capitol Hill have overwhelmingly criticized the high court's ruling in the Hobby Lobby case and are working to craft a response that would restore the coverage, though no specifics have yet been outlined (Kim, 7/7).

The Hill: Planned Parenthood Sets Up Post-Hobby Lobby Helpline
Planned Parenthood unveiled a text helpline Monday for women who have lost or will lose contraception coverage in their healthcare plans after last week's Supreme Court Hobby Lobby ruling. The pro-abortion rights group says women who have lost birth control coverage or have questions about their healthcare can text the helpline to learn about their options. The Supreme Court ruled last week some employers could deny workers access to free contraception coverage under their health insurance plans if it would infringe on the employer's religious beliefs (Al-Faruque, 7/7).

Detroit Free Press/USA Today: Hobby Lobby Ruling Boosts Eden Foods' Insurance Fight
Clinton, Mich.-based Eden Foods, a natural foods company that makes soy milk and other organic products, appears on track to win its fight with the federal government over funding insurance coverage of contraception in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's controversial Hobby Lobby ruling. Last week, after its ruling in the Hobby Lobby case, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a judgment against Eden Foods and sent a lawsuit back to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit for further consideration (Snavely, 7/7).

Kaiser Health News: Conflicting Views Of Supreme Court's Contraception Decision Cloud Other Cases
The Supreme Court's decision last week that some for-profit corporations don't have to comply with the contraceptive coverage mandate under the Affordable Care Act may have raised more questions than it answered. Expect confusion – and arguments – as lower court judges and the Supreme Court itself apply the decision to other cases (Rovner, 7/8).

The Wall Street Journal's Law Blog: Polarized Reaction To Wheaton College Injunction
Thursday's order, which sets no legal precedent and applies only to Wheaton, allows the school to avoid covering birth control without filing a form with its insurer asserting religious objections to emergency contraception-;which would trigger the third-party coverage. The order will expire once a federal appeals court rules in the school's case. But just like with last week's Hobby Lobby ruling, the court's move has provoked polarized reactions among legal observers (Gershman, 7/7).

Also, another Supreme Court decision is having an impact on state efforts on abortion clinics.

Los Angeles Times: Abortion Buffer Zone Laws Begin Falling After Supreme Court Ruling
Less than two weeks after a Supreme Court ruling struck down a Massachusetts law requiring protesters to stay outside a 35-foot buffer zone around abortion clinics, cities around the country are moving to repeal similar laws or are not enforcing the buffer zones. That is leading abortion rights advocates to worry that women may not seek the medical care they need because of fear of being harassed or intimidated outside clinics (Semuels, 7/7).