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Hobby Lobby: Go Ahead and Fine Us, We Won’t Comply With ‘Morning-After’ Mandate

Dec. 28, 2012 11:06am Becket Adams

Attorney: Hobby Lobby Wont Offer Morning After Pill

(AP)

Despite the fact that it could result in fines of up to $1.3 million per day, an attorney for Hobby Lobby Stores announced Thursday the company’s plan to ignore a federal mandate requiring all employers provide employees with health coverage that includes access to the morning-after pill.

“Hobby Lobby and religious book-seller Mardel Inc., which are owned by the same conservative Christian family, are suing to block part of the federal health care law that requires employee health-care plans to provide insurance coverage for the morning-after pill and similar emergency contraception pills,” the Associated Press notes.

“The companies claim the mandate violates the religious beliefs of their owners. They say the morning-after pill is tantamount to abortion because it can prevent a fertilized egg from becoming implanted in a woman’s womb,” the report adds.

And although Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor “denied the companies’ request for an injunction while their lawsuit is pending,” as the AP notes, she explained that the companies may challenge the new health regulation in lower courts.

Hobby Lobby is being represented by Kyle Duncan of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

“Hobby Lobby doesn’t intend to offer its employees insurance that would cover the drug while its lawsuit is pending,” Duncan said in a statement.

“The company will continue to provide health insurance to all qualified employees,” Duncan said. “To remain true to their faith, it is not their intention, as a company, to pay for abortion-inducing drugs.”

U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton last month in a ruling against the companies said churches and religious groups are protected from the birth-control provisions but that “Hobby Lobby and Mardel are not religious organizations.”

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Comments (301)

Lotus503
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:41pm
Great for them! More people need to stand up and say, ‘I WILL NOT SUBMIT!’.

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CallmeIshmaelthebrave
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:32pm
Pleased to know that a business will stand by PRINCIPLE.

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Via Dolorosa
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:26pm
All Christians please pray for this family and their business to withstand satan’s attack on them – and their rights as an American business owner. The devil dresses up in all sorts of tricky disguises – the govt is but one.

Prayer works!
:)

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- Beachmastermax
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:37pm
  Were you for telling resturants who they had to serve? That was the beginning.
  
  Report this comment
- ranepowel
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 2:16pm
  Yup, let’s let businesses hire and fire all the minorities and openly discriminate against people they don’t like, because, “it’s their business and they should have total control over it.”
  
  Report this comment
- barber2
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 3:28pm
  RaneTroll: Find it “interesting” to examine the many ways the radicals have used the Discrimination Card to “change ” America. Like to ruin the economy with the affordable Housing Act. To ruin education. To allow the mentally incompetent to roam the streets. And now this ? We are paying a high price today for The past evils of slavery. Sad for all .
  
  Report this comment
- missdagnytaggart
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:46pm
  Classic ******* trick: If you don’t agree with what someone is saying simply call them racist!
  
  Report this comment
- rootytoottootin
  Posted on December 30, 2012 at 7:32am
  AMEN, VIA DOLOROSA– I just said a prayer of victory for Hobby Lobby owners & every body who takes a stand against the evil in & run by our government!!! This world may belong to satan, but God through Christ is the supreme power to put his evil down!!!
  
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GuruMeditation
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:26pm
Stand tall HL.

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oldslori
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:22pm
Every time I see something like this about Hobby Lobby in the news, it just makes me stop there and shop every time I’m out :)

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COFemale
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:22pm
Another argument is EXTORTION. This is extortion by our U.S. government. Isn’t this a felony.

Either provide the pill or you pay 1.3 million dollars. In my book, that is extortion. Totally drop the religious argument.

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- ranepowel
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 2:17pm
  Either you pay your phone bill or you get charged a late fee.
  
  Yeah. Totally sounds like extortion.
  
  You’re a genius.
  
  Report this comment
- barber2
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 3:31pm
  RaneTroll: No. You are a genius In mockery and radical discourse.
  
  Report this comment
sbenard
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:20pm
The closest Hobby Lobby to me is about 15 miles away, but they have a great website, and I can shop there also. Let’s support them with our dollars.

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COFemale
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:19pm
Good for Hobby Lobby. I stand behind them and will use their store as much as I am able. I am unemployed right now so money is tight.

Rather than argue on religious grounds, Hobby Lobby needs to find out which Muslim owned companies do not have to comply with the mandate and have a waiver. I can not believe there aren’t any Muslims who own any stores that would have to comply with this mandate. Notice you do not hear a peep from them. You would think this would be an issue for them too.

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- CathyvanDyke
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 1:30pm
  Bingo!
  
  The silence from the Muslim community regarding the mandated Obamacare is downright deafening. Then there is the Muslim business community. Not a peep.
  
  http://frontpagemag.com/2011/eric-burns/muslims-exempt-from-obamacare/
  
  Report this comment
LiveNation
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:08pm
If they setup a “company-owned” pharmacy plan (contracted to an actual pharmacy chain) don’t they control what providers are offered? Could they not then refuse to pay for any pharmacy that is outside of the plan? They could then offer the drugs with a markup or no discount or dispense sugar pills!

My company-run plan seems to be able to dictate the doctors and hospitals I use. I’m free to use who-ever I want, but they won’t pay for any service provider that is “out-side of plan”. Don’t see much difference here.

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- Beachmastermax
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:34pm
  Believe it or not, property rights were destroyed when resturaunt owners were told who they had to serve. Were you for that?
  
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bobinmichigan
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:08pm
Sometimes you must obey God rather than man.

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- ranepowel
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 2:18pm
  Well, my imaginary God says you’re full of crap.
  
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jessieH
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:07pm
A law that is opposed by the people is not a law. It is a government mandate. I will not comply, no matter what the consequences. To even pass a mandate without reading it, first, is insane. To give some a pass on the mandate is favoritisim.

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Yellek
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:05pm
I feel a John Galt moment coming up. Perhaps I’m just hoping for one.

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freedomisasfreedomdoes
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:00pm
Craft store with a spine. Hobby Lobby for Congress

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Couyon64
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:58am
My family will support Hobby Lobby.

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Beachmastermax
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:58am
All politicians and jurist involved with trying to impose this unconstitutional law should be impeqached and arrested for civil rights violations. At the end of this, they will be. Mark down their names.

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- ranepowel
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 2:20pm
  Supreme court disagrees with you.
  
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LatvianinUS
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:55am
Sonia would not have done this, oh wait Obama appointed her, and there will be more judges like her to come. People need to wake up, Bozo is destroying this nation right in front of our eyes.

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barber2
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:50am
I really thought the @@@$$ would hit the fan when the Obama people took on the Catholic Church over the ( get this : THE AFFORDABLE HEATH CARE ACT ….ho..ho..ho..another Democrat Big Lie )
ObamaNotAffordable Act . But that died away. So now it will be another Democrat favorite target : businesses and colorations who will bear the brunt of Big Brother’s War on Capitalism !? Guess religion gets targeted. AFTER Big Brother destroys capitalism.

TH

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Landon410
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:48am
things like this are why it is important we protect our 2nd amendment…. they will stop at nothing short of compelte power

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JeanetteVictoria
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:46am
God bless the hobby Lobby. I will be spending more of my money there!

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Split54
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:45am
NEWSFLASH HOBBY LOBBY. The morning after pill works in THE EXACT SAME WAY that regular old birth control pills work.
I’m not trying to troll, just inform. So if you’re going to be opposed to the morning after pill you should likewise be opposed to the birth control pill. Because with birth control pills you could possibly be committing an abortion of a fertilized egg.

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- Split54
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:50am
  I think people are more accepting of “the pill” because you take it before-hand… so it seems like it prevents fertilization. However in many cases the egg is still fertilized and is just in a very inhospitable environment due to the excess of hormones so it is just aborted from the body. The morning after pill works in the same manner except that you take it after intercourse.
  http://www.womensmed.com/birth-control/morning-after-pill/
  
  Report this comment
- Landon410
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:59am
  i’m opposed to government mandating people do things
  
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- Split54
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:24pm
  Yes, I understand. But the whole basis for their argument is not that the government is making them do things, it’s that the government is making them do things that are against their beliefs. If the “morning after pill” was removed from the equation I guarantee they’d be satisfied. But if they are making this decision based on their religious beliefs then they should also demand that they don’t have to support birth control pills as well.
  Both birth control pills and the morning after pill can work by not allowing fertilization OR by aborting a fertilized egg. They work the same way. So everybody needs to quit be accepting of one but not the other because it’s hypocrisy.
  Personally my wife and I have never used “the pill” for this reason. If there is a change that it causes an abortion then I don’t want any part of it.
  
  Report this comment
- hi
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 12:50pm
  The pill prevents ovulation. It does not abort a fertilized egg.
  
  Report this comment
- Split54
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 5:13pm
  Try doing some research. The pill works in 4 ways, one of which you’ve listed. The 3rd way it works is listed in the link below but I’ll paste the paragraph for your convenience:
  
  “All formulations of the pill cause changes to the lining of the womb (properly known as the endometrium). Under the influence of the chemicals in the pill, the lining of the womb doesn’t grow to the proper thickness. You will notice that your periods are lighter when you are on the pill. This is because the lining of the womb has not developed properly. But this change also means that the womb is not in the right stage of development to allow a fertilized egg to attach properly (this attachment process is known as implantation).”
  
  http://www.lifeandlibertyministries.com/archives/000358.php
  http://www.pfli.org/faq_oc.html
  
  Report this comment
love the kids
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:42am
I doubt they will get fined, the AG is probably too busy filing charges against the “Meet the Press” guy who voilated the assault weapons ban and still looking into the crimes that were comitted over the Bengazhi deal.

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basque
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:41am
This is one way Oblama will kill small business, until there is only his “okayed” list of businesses open. This is govt. control. Spend some money at Hobby Lobby to show you stand behind them. Pennies add up. I am glad they are closed on Sunday,not handy for me, but nice for their employees. Their employees are also off on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Nice. Better than Oblamas questionable religious behavior.

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texaspug
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:41am
This is how they plan to pay for OBAMACARE – fining people with principles! What then?

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- ranepowel
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 2:23pm
  More places like this should stand up for their imaginary religious principles. We can use the money they’re fined to pay for universal healthcare for the rest of us.
  
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Owt_Raged
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:38am
It’s nice to see people stand by their convictions. It’s so rare these days.

We never see our elected officials do it.

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nostromo
Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:36am
People are going to have to do more of this civil disobedience. Many of us gun owners are going to be put to the test in the coming year. People will have to decide just what they really believe and what price they will pay.

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- basque
  Posted on December 28, 2012 at 11:43am
  You are very right. Some of the people you think you can count on will be the ones looking the other way.
  
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