Supreme Court upholds contraceptive exemption

The Catholic nuns of the Little Sisters of the Poor have crossed what looks like the finish line at the end of their yearslong defense against the federal government mandate that they pay for birth control. The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled 7-2 to uphold a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulation carving out exemptions to the Obamacare rule that forced private employers with religious objections to cover abortifacients and contraceptives under the health insurance plans they offer.

Where does this leave religious employers? The justices rejected the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that said HHS did not have the authority to create exemptions to the Affordable Care Act. With Wednesday’s decision and the high court’s 2014 Hobby Lobby ruling, almost any employer with religious convictions can find shelter from the Obamacare mandate.

Dig deeper: Read more background on the case from Steve West’s report in Liberties.