Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys represent Skyline Wesleyan Church, located in the San Diego area, in one federal lawsuit, and Foothill Church in Glendora, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Chino, and The Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch in another. Both lawsuits challenged California's abortion-coverage mandate. In both cases, the courts ruled that the US Constitution protects the churches' freedom to operate according to their religious beliefs, which include their belief in the sanctity of unborn lives.

"The government can't force a church or any other religious employer to violate their faith and conscience by participating in funding abortion," said ADF Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus. "For years, California officials, in collaboration with Planned Parenthood, have unconstitutionally targeted faith-based organizations. This is a significant victory for the churches we represent, the conscience rights of their members, and other religious organizations that shouldn't be ordered by the government to violate some of their deepest faith convictions."

As revealed in e-mails that ADF attorneys discovered, the California Department of Managed Health Care issued its mandate in response to specific demands from Planned Parenthood. Those demands asked agency officials to implement a "fix" requiring the health plans of religious organizations to include coverage for abortion, regardless of moral or conscientious objections and despite state recognition up to that point that religious groups shouldn't be subject to such requirements. The abortion giant threatened to promote its own legislative "solution" if the administrative agency didn't act, so DMHC issued its mandate in 2014.

A year later, ADF attorneys filed the first case, Foothill Church v. Rouillard (now Watanabe), after submitting formal complaints with the US Department of Health and Human Services against DMHC regarding California's mandate and its violation of federal conscience law. In August 2022, a federal court ruled in favor of the three plaintiff churches, concluding that the California abortion-coverage mandate was unconstitutional.

ADF attorneys filed the second case, Skyline Wesleyan Church v. California Department of Managed Health Care, in 2016. In light of the court's ruling in the Foothill Church case, state officials conceded that the abortion-coverage mandate also violated Skyline Church's constitutional rights and agreed to a stipulated court order. The favorable outcomes in both the Skyline and Foothill Church cases resulted in the state of California paying $1,400,000 toward the churches' attorneys' fees. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

*This article originally appeared at adflegal.org adflegal.org

Alliance Defending Freedom is an alliance-building, non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

'Incredible' Archaeological Discovery Reveals Jewish Connection to Jerusalem's Ancient History

DOJ to Investigate MLB's Threat to Discipline Players for Bible Verses on 'Pride' Hats

Children's Hospital Doctors Refuse to Perform 'Gender Transition' Mutilation on Kids Despite Liberal Court Order

Former Olympian among Several Sick Leftists Arrested for Vandalizing DC Reflecting Pool

Another One! Colombia Does the RIGHT Thing. Now on to Brazil

Amid Conflicting US-Iran Messages, Trump Threatens Force against Iran if It Doesn't Stop Hezbollah in Lebanon

PM Keir Starmer Announces Resignation; How the British Labour Party Resembles American Democrats

AMERICAN SOUNDTRACK: Singer-Songwriter Kaylin Roberson Honors Father and 250 Years of Brave Soldiers in Stirring Ballad 'So I Didn't Have To' (Video)

America of 1976 Would Not Recognize Herself in Our 250th Year

Baseball Players Refuse to Wear Pride Uniforms, Forced to Forfeit

Canada: Carney Liberals Move to 'Force' Radical Internet Surveillance Bill through House

Belfast Is Burning, and the Media Won't Say Why

Israel, Hezbollah Agree to New Ceasefire after Conflict Delayed US-Iran Talks

Report: Biden-Era FDA Spun Autopsy Results to Downplay COVID Vaccine Deaths in Kids, Letter Shows

Newly Exposed: Fauci Funded Wuhan Lab Research That Sparked COVID; Evidence Fauci Manipulated Intelligence and Lied to Congress

From Pulisic's 'Bible Time' to Team Prayer on the Field, US Gives 'Glory to God' at World Cup

Good News: Gasoline Drops Below $4 A Gallon

Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro Abandoning 30,000 Children as Democrats Push to Strip School Choice

Canada's Parliament Officially Passes 'Bible Ban' Bill C-9

Occupied Britain: Muslim Rape Gang Report Warns against Dangers of Mass Immigration (Part 1)