What is hobby lobby law?
The Hobby Lobby Law, also known as Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., is a landmark Supreme Court case that was decided on June 30, 2014. The case dealt with the issue of religious freedom and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obama care.
Hobby Lobby, an arts and crafts retailer, was owned and operated by the Green family, who were devout Evangelical Christians. Hobby lobby employee portalThe Green family objected to the ACA’s contraception mandate, which required employers to provide health insurance coverage for certain forms of contraception, including those that they believed could cause abortion.
The Green family argued that the contraception mandate violated their religious beliefs and freedom of religion under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and the First Amendment of the Constitution. The Supreme Court agreed and ruled in favour of Hobby Lobby, stating that closely-held for-profit corporations could be exempt from the contraception mandate if it violated the owners’ religious beliefs.
The Hobby Lobby Law has been a controversial issue since its decision. Some people argue that it was a victory for religious freedom and the protection of individual conscience. Others argue that it was a blow to women’s reproductive rights and the separation of church and state.
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) was enacted in 1993 and is a federal law that provides protection for the exercise of religion. The act states that the government cannot substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion, unless it is the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling government interest.
The Hobby Lobby case was decided under the RFRA, which provided the Green family with a legal framework to argue that the contraception mandate violated their religious beliefs. The Supreme Court agreed, stating that the contraception mandate imposed a substantial burden on the Green family’s religious beliefs and that the government had not shown that it was the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling government interest.
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obama care, is a federal law enacted in 2010. The ACA was designed to provide access to health insurance for millions of Americans and included provisions aimed at improving the quality of healthcare.
One of the provisions of the ACA was the contraception mandate, which required employers to provide health insurance coverage for certain forms of contraception, including those that could cause abortion. Hobby Lobby, along with several other businesses, challenged the contraception mandate, arguing that it violated their religious beliefs and freedom of religion.
Supreme Court Decision
The Supreme Court heard the Hobby Lobby case on March 25, 2014, and decided in favour of Hobby Lobby on June 30, 2014. The court stated that the contraception mandate imposed a substantial burden on the Green family’s religious beliefs and that the government had not shown that it was the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling government interest.
The court also stated that closely-held for-profit corporations, such as Hobby Lobby, could be exempt from the contraception mandate if it violated the owners’ religious beliefs. This was a departure from previous Supreme Court decisions, Saeed web developer which had stated that corporations were not entitled to the same religious rights as individuals.
Reactions to the Hobby Lobby Law
The Hobby Lobby Law has been a controversial issue since its decision. Some people argue that it was a victory for religious freedom and the protection of individual conscience. They believe that the decision upholds the right of individuals and corporations to exercise their religious beliefs without government interference.
Others argue that the Hobby Lobby Law was a blow to women’s reproductive rights and the separation of church and state. They believe that the decision allows corporations to impose their religious beliefs on their employees