Colorado Christian University on Wednesday re-issued its lawsuit over the “contraception mandate” tied to the federal health care law, becoming the first religious nonprofit to revamp its civil complaint after the Obama administration finalized an “accommodation” in late June designed to assuage concerns among religious institutions, according to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.
The administration set forth a rule that has employees of religious nonprofits acquire contraceptive coverage directly from insurers, without forcing their employers to be involved in managing or paying for the coverage.
“The bureaucrats’ proposed solution does not solve anything,” said Eric Baxter, senior counsel at the Becket Fund, a nonprofit law firm that is representing CCU.
CCU is among dozens of religious nonprofits and for-profit entities that have sued over the mandate on religious grounds.
The university, in its new filing with the U.S. District Court for Colorado, called the accommodation “meaningless.”
“It would still require CCU to play a central role in the government’s scheme and force it to ‘designate’ an agent to pay for the objectionable services on CCU’s behalf … If CCU does not compromise its religious convictions and comply with the regulations, however, it faces severe penalties that could exceed $12 million each year,” the complaint said.
America’s Catholic bishops and other religious leaders have issued similar concerns about the accommodation, however Georgetown University and the Catholic Hospital Association recently accepted the administration’s terms.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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