FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS ADVISORY
February 19, 2016
For More Information, contact:
Luther Strange
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Alabama Attorney General
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 1
ATTORNEY GENERAL STRANGE DISAPPOINTED WITH FEDERAL APPEALS
COURT RULING AGAINST ALABAMA BROADCASTER IN RELIGIOUS
LIBERTY CASE
FIGHT NOW SHIFTS TO U.S. SUPREME COURT
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Luther Strange voiced disappointment over an
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11 U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling Thursday against the Birmingham-based
Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) in their religious liberty lawsuit against
Obamacare’s contraceptive coverage mandate.
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“The 11 U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 2-1 vote upheld a lower court ruling forcing
Alabama religious broadcaster EWTN to provide contraceptive coverage to its
employees in direct opposition to the religious beliefs of its lay Catholic operators,” said
Attorney General Strange.
“I am disappointed in the ruling but the battle to defend religious liberty from federal
assault continues as Alabama and 19 other states have joined a similar lawsuit, Zubik v.
Burwell, before the U.S. Supreme Court this year. Religious non-profits like EWTN
provide a tremendous service to the public and have no less a constitutional right to
exercise their religious beliefs than an individual citizen.”
Alabama was a co-plaintiff in EWTN’s case against Obamacare’s infringement upon the
liberty of the religious non-profit and supported its appeal when a lower court ruled
against EWTN in June 2014.
EWTN was granted an injunction from federal fines for failing to provide contraceptive
coverage under the Obamacare mandate pending the outcome of its case. Today, the
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11 U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals continued the injunction contingent upon the
decision of the U.S. Supreme Court in Zubik v. Burwell.
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