The Supreme Court has a very full fall season lined up, and the decisions are already starting to come down. Some of the most important rulings include individual rights and the Constitution.

This includes a case that involves a Democrat-controlled state and a mandate regarding abortions. A coalition of charities challenged this mandate, and the high court took up the case.

And now, they’ve delivered their verdict.

In 2017, the state of New York approved an insurance mandate that forced employers to cover abortion costs in their employee health insurance plans.

Unsurprisingly, this created serious pushback from Pro-Life groups and those who consider this a violation of the First Amendment. It wasn’t long before various groups filed suit against the rule.

This isn’t the first case involving freedom of speech and religious organizations.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court refused to take a case in Philadelphia, where a charity refused to consider same-sex couples for foster parents.

The city refused to contract with the charity because of this policy, but the high court said the group was allowed their stance on same-sex couples. They cited the First Amendment in that case.

And they’re doing it again with the New York case. From Fox News:

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered New York’s top court to reconsider its ruling against a coalition of charities that challenged the state’s mandate that employers cover abortions in their employee health insurance plans.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany argued that the state’s abortion insurance mandate shouldn’t be allowed.

The bottom line is that it violates their First Amendment rights, and the Supreme Court agrees. They’ve vacated a NY ruling that upheld the law, and are now demanding the state reconsider.

Said Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger:

We are gratified and grateful that the Supreme Court has recognized the serious constitutional concerns over New York State’s heavy-handed abortion mandate on religious employers.

The Bishop added that they’re “confident” that the state’s “unconstitutional regulatory action” will be overturned, and it’s a direct violation of religious liberty.

Mother Miriam of the Sisterhood of Saint Mary echoed the sentiment, saying she hopes the New York Court of Appeals “will preserve our ability to serve and encourage our neighbors.”

Religions vs. abortion has been a hot-button issue for decades.

But now that abortion is covered by insurance, the Constitution definitely comes into play. Forcing all employers to provide abortion insurance is certainly a gray area, according to many.

If that employer holds certain beliefs, he or she should not be forced to violate those beliefs.

That’s the argument the Roman Catholic Diocese brought to the Supreme Court and in this case, it was a success. The high court decided that religious liberty should win out.

However, expect the battle between Pro-Life and Pro-Choice groups to continue, especially where mandates and religion are concerned.

Key Takeaways:

• The Supreme Court ordered NY’s top court to reconsider a ruling that forces employers to cover abortions in employee insurance plans.
• The case has precedent in an earlier ruling, which involved a charity in Philadelphia that refused to consider same-sex couples for foster parents.
• The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany argued the NY mandate was an “unconstitutional regulatory action.”

Source: Fox News