Supreme Court Turns Down Contraceptive Case

[Surya Gayatri]

Last edited Tue Jun 28, 2016, 01:33 PM - Edit history (2)

Source: MSNBC (cable)

The Supreme Court has declined to rule in the Washington State "religious freedom" contraceptive case. This means that service providers such as pharmacies cannot use the "religious faith" excuse to refuse to provide birth control products to customers.

Will post link when available.

ETA:

The U.S. Supreme Court declined Tuesday to take up a challenge to a Washington state law that makes it illegal for pharmacies to refuse to dispense medications for religious reasons.

The court's action, bypassing an invitation to wade back into the issues of religion and contraception, allows the state to enforce the law.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito called the court's refusal to hear the case "an ominous sign."

The case involved a small family-owned business whose owners objected to stocking birth control pills.

The nation's pharmacies are generally allowed to make decisions about which drugs to stock, for business reasons or convenience. When a drug is not in stock, the pharmacies typically refer customers to a competitor nearby who has the medication.



Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/supreme-court-declines-hear-pharmacy-s-religious-objections-case-n600261

---

More good news for women...the Washington State injunction stands

Three guesses who dissented in the 5-3 decision. The three RW apologists who are left, of course: Roberts, Clarence and Alito.

Is it my imagination, or has the SCOTUS drifted slightly leftward since the ideologue Scalia departed so unexpectedly?

[merrily]

1. They're rolling!

[Surya Gayatri]

3. Seems to me the women justices are much more assertive now that Scalia is gone.

They really ARE on a roll!

[bucolic_frolic]

2. There really is a point where

all this faith stuff has got to stop. The faith and conscience people are constantly
moving boundaries and creating new ones, and embodying the products we consume
or the business relationships we have with implicit yet specific supernatural powers
that are an extension of their religious beliefs.

Soon we won't be able to buy or sell anything without approval from some religious
approval board.

Glad to see the Supreme Court draw a line in the sand.

[Surya Gayatri]

5. The line is being engraved in stone. Enough of imposing your

religious faith BS on others in the public sphere.

[rurallib]

12. be nice if they followed their own leader

and prayed quietly by themselves.

[awoke_in_2003]

22. If your religion

doesn't allow you to do your job, get a new job.

[klook]

26. Precisely.

Another important win for common sense.

[fasttense]

50. Exactly, what is more important your religious beliefs or your job?

There comes a time when you have to make a decision.

That's why you don't see pacifists in the military.

[Silver_Witch]

4. Finally women being heard!!!

No one should be refused medicine because some has an imaginary friend they think is say No!

[Surya Gayatri]

7. Ginsberg, Sotomayor and Kagan are the leaders on this, of course.

MORE WOMEN ON THE COURT!!!!!!

[mountain grammy]

11. Yes!

[TrogL]

6. OK, somebody pinch me. I know what I'm going to be listening to today.

I work as a truck driver. I'm often out of range of terrestrial radio so I listen to the POTUS politics channel on Sirius XM. Of the 3 politics channels available it considers itself "in the middle".

So I turn on the radio yesterday and they're babbling away about the Supreme Court and Texas abortion and I go universe am I in this time? So for the entire day Michael Smerconish, the mid-day show (Briefing room?) and Steele and Unger go on and on with this sort of "what planet am I on?" vibe.

I'm expecting more of the same today.

One theory is with Scalia gone, Roberts is drifting left.

[Surya Gayatri]

8. "One theory is with Scalia gone, Roberts is drifting left."

May this prove to be true. From your keyboard to the "Feminine Energy" of the Universe.

Roberts needs to get more in touch with his feminine side.

[passiveporcupine]

45. Kennedy is the one who keeps siding with the women lately

Roberts has stuck with Alito and Thomas for the most part.

I hoped Roberts was leaning left a few years back, but then he seems to have swung back to the right lately. Maybe because Scalia is gone and he feels the court needs balance.

[TrogL]

23. Nope, everybody was going on about "Benghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi"

[Pluvious]

24. A dare we hope that when C.T. Finally retires that...

...Hilary will add one more woman to the bench and get us near parity ?

[passiveporcupine]

46. Ginsburg may be the first to retire.

So we really need two more women. There are about .97 males for each female in the US.

The court should be five women to four men, or four of each with a trans woman as the fifth.

Women make better decisions anyway.

Unless they are strongly religious...then they follow the patriarchal rules of their church.

So next we make sure that at least five of the justices are atheists.

[niyad]

9. another bit of good news. the woman-hating gestational slavers must be screaming in

frustration about now. GOOD!! may they choke on their hatred and rage.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. Wow, four good decisions, one weird one.

[vlyons]

13. RWer Christian taliban

Read your red letter Bible and do what Jesus says, and stop acting like you're a better Christian and more righteous than everyone else. You don't like contraceptives? Don't use them. Stop sticking your long spiteful noses into other people's private lives. Don't you have enough bad karma and sins of your own to rectify? Haven't you wronged enough people and broken enough promises that you need to make right? Clean up your own damn life and purify your own mind and heart, and stop putting yourself forward as the God police.

[uppityperson]

14. Here are a couple links, it's across the internets now. Good.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/06/28/supreme-court-religion-contraception-abortion-pharmacies/85055602/
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/supreme-court-declines-hear-pharmacy-s-religious-objections-case-n600261

[Surya Gayatri]

16. Thanks. I was out for some time, so couldn't keep checking.

[Princess Turandot]

15. An interesting note: it takes *4* SCOTUS justices to agree to hear a new case...

In this instance, it's clear that three were in favor of taking this one: Alito, who wrote a 14 (!) page dissent, and Thomas and Roberts, who concurred with it.

Justice Kennedy did not vote to take it. Following his deciding vote in support of marriage equality late last term, as well as being the unexpected sixth vote for the ACA at that same time, he was the deciding vote in favor of the U of T in the affirmative action case this month, a completely unexpected result. His deciding vote in favor of the clinics in the abortion case was not a shocker, but it was also not a lock.

Let's hope he's had a permanent epiphany, at least regarding these type of constitutional cases.

BTW perhaps we should give the devil his due - for a millisecond - for calling Antonio home. It made a difference in some of the decided cases, such as the public union dues one that ended 4-4, which left the lower court decision in favor of the union in place. And, Scalia would certainly have voted to take this pharmacy case.

[msanthrope]

17. In other words, Repuke inaction on SCOTUS is biting them on the ass...they don't have the certiorari

votes.....

[Surya Gayatri]

18. I'm getting the distinct impression, that since the untimely departure of Scalia the Mouth,

the three remaining RW ideologues are having more trouble imposing their POV.

The female cohort is in the ascendancy!

[wryter2000]

29. That's sure what it looks like

Remember when it was common knowledge (always questionable) that O'Connor could steer Kennedy? Maybe Scalia was influencing him.

[Surya Gayatri]

31. Read "bullying" him, yeah. That big mouth was daunting for many.

[Pluvious]

25. I praise The Mighty Zeus every day for

...striking down that vile and medieval sack of dirt.

[Judi Lynn]

19. Such great news. Stupendous. Thank you, Surya Gayatri. n/t

[NutmegYankee]

20. The SCOTUS is finally knocking this religious freedom bullshit down.

Faith is rules YOU follow - Others do not need to comply with your faith's rules. And the legislature has the clear power to regulate commerce, such as pharmacies.

[smirkymonkey]

21. K&R

Great news!

[underpants]

27. Clarence Thomas is pissed. He planned on trying out the products in front of his staff.

[wryter2000]

28. I'm almost giddy

They want to tell us we can't have an abortion, but we also can't have birth control.

[Surya Gayatri]

30. That monumental conundrum had occurred to me, as well.

[wryter2000]

32. It's because their agenda is anti-sex

It doesn't have anything to do with life. It's about pushing their Victorian sexual "morals" on the rest of us...especially women. I'll bet that pharmacy sells condoms.

[Surya Gayatri]

33. As someone once said, RWers hate to think of anybody enjoying themselves,

especially in their bedrooms.

[Moonwalk]

34. Actually, they want men to enjoy themselves. They want women....

...to be constantly pregnant and taking care of children. That way, the women haven't anytime to work (so the men get all the jobs—and all workplaces go back to being men-only-clubhouses). Nor any time to be in politics (so politics go back to being men-only-clubhouse). In addition, if the women are always pregnant, nursing, or changing diapers and watching after kids, it forces them stay at home (while men can go out), and rely on men to feed, clothe and house them (i.e. forces them to be good, obedient sex slaves).

THAT is what these right-wing religious types want. Contraceptives and abortion free women from being enslaved to home, children and husbands. And people of such religious faith don't like that. Besides, the bible says that women have to bear children and suffer in penance for eating the forbidden fruit. So, just following the bible there....

[Surya Gayatri]

38. Basically, women's original sin is being born female...

[Moonwalk]

43. Basically, men have to rely on women if they want sons to carry on their empires...

...and that is an inconviencence because women seem to think they should have a say in the matter. Men want women to be like their farm animals, breeding when they want them to breed for their benefit and with no say in the matter.

[passiveporcupine]

47. I don't think they are anit-sex.

Just unmarried sex. They want women to have lots of babies. It's God's decision whether or not you have a baby.

I've always thought women should go on strike and just say no more sex until they get their way. I've been on strike for about thirty years now and it seems to be working!

[midnight]

35. Our Wisconsin legislature has been dealing with these crazy alec bill since walker was

proped up by them to keep women from birth control.

but found this instead…

"Illinois State Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D) proposed an amendment to a state mandatory ultrasound bill that would require men watch a graphic video about the side effects of Viagra before legally being able to receive a prescription for it.

The measure is another move for gender equity to the state’s “Ultrasound Opportunity Act” proposed in the House which would require women in Illinois undergo an ultrasound that could be invasive and is medically unnecessary before having an abortion."



Read more: http://www.care2.com/causes/lawmaker-adds-viagra-amendment-to-illinois-ultrasound-bill.html#ixzz4D1Pn3KaW

[Surya Gayatri]

39. Brilliant! "..bill that would require men watch a graphic video about the side effects of Viagra..."

[midnight]

44. I'm glad you appreciated a bit of equity….

[Hekate]

36. Zippity-doo-dah, 3 women on the Court, my oh my what a wonderful start...

By-by Opus Dei clique.

[Surya Gayatri]

40. Three and counting...Hillary will appoint at least one or two more.

It's a new day, it's a new dawn!!!

[Socal31]

37. If a private pharmacy that carried no Federally scheduled compounds claimed this...

I would agree with their right.

However, since no pharmacy can survive without pushing speed (ADD drugs), Heroin (Opiates), and rat poison (benzodiazapines), they have to follow federal law on women's rights.

[Surya Gayatri]

41. Like I heard elsewhere: If you don't want to dispense drugs

as a non-political public service, don't open a pharmacy.

[passiveporcupine]

48. Pharmicies don't push drugs,

Pharmco's do. Doctor's do. Pharmacies just sell what the doctors are prescribing.

And it still wouldn't make it right. That's like saying a grocery store doesn't have to carry milk or cheese because the owner doesn't like eating dairy.

Sorry...if you are a pharmacy, you should carry the legal medications your town needs and are being prescribed by the doctors.

[catbyte]

42. Yeah, it's an "ominous sign", alright. It's a sign that the Court won't legitimize bullshit bigotry

disguised as "religious freedom."

It DOES matter--especially to women and men who care about women--who wins in November. Don't kid yourselves.

[riversedge]

51. Thank you

[riversedge]

52. REC

[Danmel]

53. Now they need to revisit Greece vs Galloway

Which allows religious prayers at legislature meetings. Tired of having to hear about Jesus and be one of the only people in the room not crossing themselves when I am at work.

[bucolic_frolic]

54. It's about time this "conscience" baloney is stopped in its tracks

before we have conscience about everything

Refusing to serve beef ... refusing to sell bottled water ... refusing to ring up tofu

Refusal to allow a customer to buy non-vegetarian cat food because of the
animal ingredients

WHERE does it end? Everyone will be vivisecting their consciences and American
life will come to a virtual stop

There's a traffic jam brewing in Conscienceville