Appeals court upholds ruling on contraception mandate

An appeals court has upheld a lower court's order halting a federal mandate requiring two Christian colleges in Michigan and Iowa to provide insurance coverage for certain contraceptives.

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis issued an order yesterdsay that the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive mandate and accommodation process "substantially burdened" Dordt College's and Cornerstone University's "exercise of religion."

Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa and Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids faced fines for non-compliance.

The schools sued in 2013. Alliance Defending Freedom represented both schools.

The conservative Christian law group's senior counsel Kevin Theriot said "the government shouldn't punish people of faith for making decisions in accordance with their faith."

The Justice Department called the lawsuit meritless and an attempt to prevent female employees from obtaining coverage.