Charity must cover birth control

[Judi Lynn]

March 2, 2004, 12:10AM

Charity must cover birth control

Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO -- In a precedent-setting decision, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday that a Roman Catholic charity must offer birth-control coverage to its employees even though the church considers contraception a sin.

The 6-1 decision marked the first such ruling by a state's highest court. Experts said the ruling could affect thousands of workers at Catholic hospitals and other institutions in California and prompt other states to fashion similar laws.
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The high court said Catholic Charities is no different from other businesses in California, where "religious employers" such as churches are exempt. Catholic Charities argued that it, too, should be exempt.

But the Supreme Court ruled that the charity is not a religious employer because it offers such secular services as counseling, low-income housing and immigration services to people of all faiths.
(snip/...)

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[hang a left]

1. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

n/t