Hobby Lobby Takes Contraceptives Fight to 10th Circuit Court
Hobby Lobby argues case before federal judges
Attorneys for the Oklahoma City retailer restate its claim that the religious beliefs of the firm’s owners are violated by a federal requirement that the company provide insurance coverage for emergency contraceptives.
By Brianna Bailey | Published: May 23, 2013
DENVER — A panel of eight judges at the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday wrestled with whether Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. — a secular, for profit corporation — has the right to the same religious freedoms guaranteed to individuals under the U.S. Constitution.
The judges heard oral arguments in a Denver courtroom on Hobby Lobby’s challenge to part of the Affordable Care Act that requires the company to cover the cost of emergency contraceptives for its employees. The company and its owners, CEO David Green and four family members, believe that some types of contraception, including the “morning-after pill,” are forms of abortion that conflict with the family’s Christian beliefs.
From the beginning of the nearly two-hour hearing, the judges peppered attorneys arguing on behalf of Hobby Lobby and the federal government with dozens of questions regarding whether Hobby Lobby’s status as a for-profit corporation blocked the company from claiming protection from the health care law under First Amendment rights to religious freedom.