A Missouri lawmaker sought an exemption Wednesday for his family from contraception coverage that’s part of the state insurance plan, The St Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Arguing that the mandate runs afoul of his Catholic beliefs, state Rep. Paul Wieland (R) filed suit in the U.S. District Court in St. Louis against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a pair of other federal agencies, asking that the court declare the mandate established by the Affordable Care Act to be a violation of his freedom of religion. By virtue of his role as a legislator, Wieland’s family qualifies for a state health plan.
“I see abortion-inducing drugs as intrinsically evil, and I cannot in good conscience preach one thing to my kids and then just go with the flow on our insurance,” Wieland said, according to the Post-Dispatch. “This is a moral conundrum for me. Do I just cancel the coverage and put my family at risk? I don’t believe in what the government is doing.”
Wieland said he is only seeking a personal exemption from the court.
(Photo via Shutterstock / Calek)
