US EditionOregon abortion coverage law ruled unconstitutional
The ruling is limited for now, and state officials say coverage remains unchanged while they prepare an appeal.
- On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai ruled the Oregon Reproductive Health Equity Act is unconstitutional as applied to Oregon Right to Life, the nonprofit that challenged the state's abortion coverage mandate.
- ORTL filed the lawsuit in 2023, arguing the state's mandate to include abortion coverage in employee health plans violates the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause by forcing the organization to fund practices contradicting its pro-life mission.
- The ruling relied on the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission, which struck down a similar scheme for lacking religious neutrality when granting employer exemptions.
- Governor Tina Kotek and Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced plans to appeal the decision, emphasizing that the law remains in effect and coverage requirements are currently unchanged pending a written opinion.
- Rayfield noted the ruling addresses a specific religious exemption claim by one organization, though Planned Parenthood Action Oregon expressed concern that removing coverage creates barriers for patients seeking essential reproductive health care.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Pro-Life Group Defeats Blue State’s Bid to Make It Fund Abortions
A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Oregon cannot force a leading pro-life organization to provide abortion coverage in its employees’ health insurance plans. That hands a victory to pro-life advocates who argue the state’s law violates religious freedom by compelling them to fund a practice they view as the taking of innocent human life. U.S. District Judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai announced from the bench in Eugene that Oregon’s Reproductive Health …
Columbia Gorge News
Federal judge sides with Oregon Right to Life in abortion insurance coverage case
A federal judge in Oregon declared that a state law could not require the Keizer-based Oregon Right to Life organization to provide abortion insurance coverage for its employees, handing a seemingly narrow victory to the state’s leading anti-abortion advocacy group.…
Federal court rules Oregon law requiring insurance to cover abortion, contraception unconstitutional
A federal judge in Oregon ruled Tuesday that a state law requiring insurance plans to cover abortions and contraception violates the Constitutional rights of Oregon Right to Life.The full scope of U.S. District Court Judge Mustafa Kasubhai’s ruling won’t be known until next week at the earliest, though his temporary ruling represents a win for the anti-abortion nonprofit. In his decision Tuesday, Kasubhai said he would later issue a written opin…
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