Third District Democratic Congressional candidate Dr. Mary Headrick was critical of the U.S. Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby ruling.
She said, "Yesterday a deeply divided Supreme Court decided in ruling that certain for-profit companies cannot be required to pay for specific types of contraceptives for their employees. The 5-4 decision on ideological lines was met with instant backlash because the ruling creates a gateway to further religious-based challenges that limit individual decisions and rights.
"I want to clearly express my disgust with the ruling.
The extremist war on women has now escalated to the most personal health decision a woman can make, taking away a benefit, birth control, that she worked for and earned by her labor. It appears that religious freedom for corporations is now legally allowed to suppress individual workers' rights and their religious freedom.
"The United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has ruled that corporations may deny birth control benefits to women employees. Workers earn their job benefits, including health insurance. This decision is the same thing as your employer withholding part of your earned paycheck. Hobby Lobby owners wish to interfere with the freedom to decide when to begin parenthood, when to enlarge a family and when to stop enlarging a family. For the minimum wage young women employed by Hobby Lobby, the personal expense of birth control will remain a barrier to responsibly planning their pregnancies and family size.
"I support Justice Ginsberg's assertion that this decision will allow corporations to opt out of almost any law that they find incompatible with 'their sincerely held religious beliefs'. It is time for every person to vote against corporate religious oppression and for freedom for the American workers who deserve good health insurance."