LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by seven states and joined by religious plaintiffs seeking to block the contraceptive coverage mandate in the federal health care law.
The lawsuit was filed by attorneys general from Nebraska, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.
Plaintiffs also include three Catholic employers, a nun and a female missionary. They argued that the rule violates the rights of employers who object to the use of contraceptives, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs.
Judge Warren Urbom ruled Tuesday that the states had no standing in the lawsuit, because they had failed to prove they would suffer immediate harm once the rule is enacted.
He also dismissed the religious groups' complaints, saying they could be exempted from the mandate because the Obama administration has agreed to try to address their concerns.
