56 Briefs Support Hobby Lobby In Supreme Court Case

OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. and its owners, the Green family, today hailed the filing of 56 supporting friend-of-the-court briefs in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case of Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby –- including one from Congressional supporters of a religious liberty law central to the case.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140129/DA55546)

Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby involves the religious objections of Hobby Lobby and its owners, David and Barbara Green and their family. While the Greens' health insurance provides 16 of the 20 contraceptive drugs and devices mandated by the Affordable Care Act, the Greens object to including four because they are potentially life-terminating, in violation of the family's faith.

The Greens view the broad support of their position, expressed in friend-of-the-court briefs as a "strong affirmation of our right to live out our deeply held beliefs in our family business."

"We are deeply grateful for the enormous outpouring of support," said David Green, founder of the 28,000-employee company based in Oklahoma City. "The intellectual vigor invested in the documents and the breadth of scholars, religious leaders and elected officials who filed them is extraordinary.

"We are thankful to all of our supporters who filed 56 of the 81 briefs submitted to the court," Green said.  "And we are heartened by the unity of such a diverse group who share our belief in religious liberty."

The supporters filing briefs with the High Court by the midnight filing deadline included:

• A total of 107 federal legislators from both Houses and both sides of the aisle, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA).  In particular, 15 U.S. Senators and Representatives who cosponsored or voted for the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act affirmed the legislation's applicability to for-profit corporations such as Hobby Lobby
• 21 states, objecting to the federal government's rationale for the case as infringing on long-established state corporation law
• A broad representation of prominent religious leaders, organizations and businesses from a range of faiths encompassing Protestant and Catholic theologians, universities, associations and ministries; Christian denominations; Christian and Jewish publishers; Orthodox Jewish groups; a Santeria church; a Hindu society; an influential Islamic scholar; and a halal food company
• More than 30 eminent legal and constitutional scholars
• Democrats for Life along with former Congressman Bart Stupak
• Medical groups; and
• Several women's groups.

The Greens case reached the nation's highest court after federal appeals court held in favor of the Green family in June 2013. The district court issued an injunction the following month, and in November, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case after the federal government appealed. Oral arguments are set for March 25, and a decision is expected by the end of June.

Hobby Lobby and the Green Family are represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, and a full list of amicus filers and their briefs can be found at http://www.becketfund.org/hobbylobbyamicus/. 

For more information and updates, please visit www.hobbylobbycase.com.

SOURCE Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.