Little Sisters: Supreme Court ruling is 'big win'
'It was the unanimous decision that we've been hoping for'
Published: 10 hours ago
Little Sisters are Supreme Court (Image courtesy Becket Fund)
The Supreme Court ruled 8-0 on Monday that it is sending the legal cases involving religious organizations and the Obamacare contraception mandate back to lower courts for resolution, a decision that an attorney for the Little Sisters of the Poor calls a “win-win.”
The case, Zubik v. Burwell, is a legal battle over whether the government can force religious organizations to provide contraception coverage in their health plans if that coverage violates sincerely held beliefs.
The justices ruled they would not be ruling on the merits of the case at this time.
“In particular, the Court does not decide whether petitioners’ religious exercise has been substantially burdened, whether the government has a compelling interest, or whether the current regulations are the least restrictive means of serving that interest,” the court stated in an opinion that was not ascribed to a specific justice.
While the Obama administration says it is “gratified” by the decision, most court watchers summarized the ruling as the justices punting the issue back to the lower courts. But the Little Sisters don’t see it that way at all.
“To the extent that this is a punt, this is a punt that gives the Little Sisters great field position,” said Daniel Blomberg, an attorney with the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents the Little Sisters. “It puts them in a place that we can get to a solution that frankly isn’t a win-loss; it’s a win-win.”
Related story: “Supreme Court takes action on Obama’s birth-control mandate”
Blomberg told WND and Radio America, “Today was a big win. It was the unanimous decision that we’ve been hoping for and it protects the Little Sisters of the Poor from having to violate their religious beliefs or pay massive fines.”
While the court did not rule on the merits, Blomberg said its actions demonstrate the justices are not OK with with groups like the Little Sisters being in the government’s cross-hairs.
“Several lower court decisions had gone the wrong way, and they were forcing the Little Sisters to choose between their faith and fines, and they were massive, crushing fines,” he said. “The Supreme Court today said, ‘No, we’re not going to do that. We’re going to send this back down to get reconsidered because the government has admitted it has other ways of accomplishing its mission without forcing the sisters to violate their beliefs.”
Listen to the WND/Radio America interview with Daniel Blomberg:
Read more at
http://www.wnd.com/2016/05/little-sisters-supreme-court-ruling-is-big-win/#q47hhxDtjCghC432.99
