Churches to Court: Stop California Agency From Forcing Us to Provide Abortion

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona, Nov. 21 -- The Alliance Defending Freedom issued the following news release:

Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys will be available for media interviews immediately following oral arguments Friday before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in a lawsuit against the California Department of Managed Health Care for forcing churches to pay for elective abortions in their health insurance plans.

Foothill Church in Glendora, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Chino, and The Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch are challenging the department's mandate on appeal in Foothill Church v. Rouillard.

"The government shouldn't be forcing churches to pay for abortion," said ADF Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus, who will argue before the court. "We are asking the 9th Circuit to invalidate this unconstitutional mandate because California officials are required to follow the law and legal precedent, not the dictates of groups that have an axe to grind against religious organizations that don't share their views on abortion."

As revealed in e-mails that Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys who represent the churches discovered, the agency issued its mandate in response to specific demands from Planned Parenthood. Those demands asked agency officials to implement a "fix" requiring the health plans of religious organizations to include coverage for abortion, regardless of moral or conscientious objections and despite state recognition up to that point that religious groups shouldn't be subject to such requirements. The abortion giant threatened to promote its own legislative "solution" if the administrative agency didn't act, so DMHC issued its mandate in 2014.

* Pronunciation guide: Galus (GAL'-us)