Chicago Tribune - Illinois Business Urges Federal Court to Lift Contraception Mandate

By Manya A. Brachear, ChicagoTribune.com

Lawyers for two Roman Catholic-owned companies in Illinois and Indiana argued before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago on Wednesday that a law forcing them to include birth control in their employees' benefits would violate their First Amendment rights.

But in an unexpected twist during a hearing on the merits of a preliminary injunction, the lawyer for the federal government argued that accommodating the business owners' religious beliefs could violate the First Amendment as well.

Edward L. White III, a lawyer representing Korte & Luitjohan Contractors in the southern Illinois city of Highland, said the fines imposed for ignoring the contraception mandate would impose a substantial burden on the construction company and therefore violate the U.S. Constitution.

"The mandate is depriving my clients of the free exercise of their Catholic faith," said White, a lawyer for the American Center for Law & Justice, based in Ann Arbor, Mich. . . .

You can read the entire story here.