Michigan has joined Nebraska, Florida, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and South Carolina in an appeal filed in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to the dismissal of their lawsuit (PDF) challenging the rule requiring companies and institutions to provide access to contraception. The Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America, Catholic Social Services, and two private citizens are also parties. The lawsuit was filed last February in federal district court in Nebraska. It was dismissed without prejudice in an order that said that the plaintiffs had not established standing and their claims were not ripe. In announcing the appeal, Attorney General Bill Schuette said:
Any rule, regulation or law that forces faith-based institutions to provide services that violate their free exercise of religion is a flat-out violation of the First Amendment.
