In a close 5-4 decision Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby, ruling that corporations cannot be forced to provide contraception coverage for their employees.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote the opinion with Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotormayor, Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsberg dissenting.
The case was brought before the court because of Obamacare’s contraception mandate, which required all employers to provide contraception as part of their insurance coverage. The Green family, who own the Hobby Lobby corporation, have religious objections to contraception. Monday’s decision rules the contraception mandate unconstitutional under the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Nearly 60 amicus briefs were filed alongside the Hobby Lobby case. According to SCOTUSblog, the decision covers only contraception and does not affect a corporation’s freedom to deny other medical products or services on religious grounds, like vaccinations or blood transfusions.