Supreme Court Strikes Down Contraception Mandate For Closely Held Corporations

The U.S. Supreme Court, 5-4, ruled that closely owned corporations can't be forced to pay for insurance coverage for contraception under Obamacare, the New York Times' Adam Liptak reports. Conestoga Wood Specialties, a cabinet maker, and Hobby Lobby, a chain of craft stores, challenged that part of the health law on the grounds that it violates their Christian beliefs. The Supreme Court found that, under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the mandate was a substantial burden on the corporations' religious liberty. Even if the government has a compelling interest in ensuring women's access to contraception, the current mechanism of the mandate is not the "least restrictive means of serving that interest," the majority's author, Justice Samuel Alito, wrote.