Attorney General Laxalt files Friend of the Court brief in support of the Free Exercise of Religion

(Office of the Attorney General) – CARSON CITY – Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt announced the filing of a friend of the court brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Little Sisters of the Poor v. Burwell. The brief urges the court to protect Little Sisters of the Poor, a religious nonprofit organization, from being forced to either violate its sincerely held religious views or pay millions in fines to the federal government. Nevada is joined by 19 states on the brief.

Little Sisters of the Poor is an organization of Roman Catholic women dedicated to serving the poor. The Little Sisters and co-petitioners sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in response to the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate. The mandate requires religious nonprofits such as the Little Sisters to provide employees with all available forms of contraception at no cost. Facing hefty fines for non-compliance, a number of these groups have sought U.S. Supreme Court review of their case.

“Religious organizations serve our communities in countless ways, and their contributions should be supported, not impeded by the government,” said Laxalt. “These organizations should not be fined for living in accordance with their sincerely held religious convictions. This brief encourages the Supreme Court to take the necessary steps toward ensuring that our government and our courts do not force people of faith to violate their religious beliefs.”

Nevada is joined by the following states in the filing of this brief: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

To view the friend of the court brief, click here.