Judge: Secular Group Should Qualify for Exemption From Federal Contraceptive Coverage Rules

On Monday, a federal judge ruled that March for Life, a not-for-profit group that opposes contraception, is eligible for an exemption from the federal contraceptive coverage rules, even though the organization is secular rather than religious. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon said HHS violated the 5th Amendment's equal protection clause by denying March for Life an exemption to the contraceptive coverage rules while exempting houses of worship. In his ruling, he wrote that such actions amounted to "regulatory favoritism." The federal government is expected to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

• "Judge Allows Moral, Not Just Religious, Contraception Exemptions" (Liptak, New York Times, 8/31).