Pushback: California loses big for trying to force churches to violate their religious beliefs
Mary Watanaba, head oppressor
in California’s health system
They’re coming for you next: After California health authorities in 2014 imposed a mandate requiring requiring churches to provide elective abortion coverage to its employees, four churches sued, and after a long court battle, have now won a $1.4 million settlement.
Alliance Defending Freedom [ADF] attorneys represent Skyline Wesleyan Church, located in the San Diego area, in one federal lawsuit, and Foothill Church in Glendora, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Chino, and The Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch in another. Both lawsuits challenged California’s abortion-coverage mandate. In both cases, the courts ruled that the U.S. Constitution protects the churches’ freedom to operate according to their religious beliefs, which include their belief in the sanctity of unborn lives.
The rulings in both lawsuits (here and here [pdfs]) not only release the churches from the illegal abortion mandate, they both require payments to ADF and the church’s local attorneys to pay all legal costs. Interesting, in both lawsuits Mary Watanabe, the director of the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) was named, and in one case she was the only defendant. Unfortunately, she walks away unharmed, because DMHC will pay for everything, out of tax dollars.
What made the mandate especially egregious is that it was written in league with officials at Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, as shown by emails [pdf] between DMHC and those officials. Though the first amendment of the Bill of Rights is quite clear, that government cannot restrict the religious rights of citizens or churches, DMHC, Planned Parenthood, and the ACLU teamed up to write regulations to do exactly that, and they did it outside the legislative process. Brianna Pittman, Planned Parenthood’s legislative advocate, repeatedly suggested DMHC come up with “an administrative solution, in lieu of legislation,” and DMHC officials immediately agreed, arranging a meeting with both Planned Parenthood and the ACLU in order to create the mandate.
That the ACLU was part of this process only illustrates once again how corrupted with politics that so-called free speech non-profit legal firm has become. Once, it stood firmly defending the first amendment in all cases. Now it conspires with others to nullify that first amendment, if it disagrees with the politics of those targeted.
It is for this reason that a host of new non-profit legal firms, such as the Alliance Defending Freedom, have recently sprung up. The ACLU was no longer defending free speech, there was a terrible need because of the modern leftist effort to blacklist its opponents, and someone had to step up to fill the vacuum.
Will this ruling change anything? Will California officials now stop working to impose the political will of leftist organizations like Planned Parenthood, in violation of the first amendment to the Constitution?
Nah. They will simply try again, since it didn’t cost them anything to violate the law. The taxpayers paid, while it was the churches who suffered after almost a decade fighting their illegal action. These goons will simply keep trying to stamp their boots into the faces of their opponents until someone finally stamps back, hard, making them feel some pain.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
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3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
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Mary Watanaba, head oppressor
in California’s health system
They’re coming for you next: After California health authorities in 2014 imposed a mandate requiring requiring churches to provide elective abortion coverage to its employees, four churches sued, and after a long court battle, have now won a $1.4 million settlement.
Alliance Defending Freedom [ADF] attorneys represent Skyline Wesleyan Church, located in the San Diego area, in one federal lawsuit, and Foothill Church in Glendora, Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in Chino, and The Shepherd of the Hills Church in Porter Ranch in another. Both lawsuits challenged California’s abortion-coverage mandate. In both cases, the courts ruled that the U.S. Constitution protects the churches’ freedom to operate according to their religious beliefs, which include their belief in the sanctity of unborn lives.
The rulings in both lawsuits (here and here [pdfs]) not only release the churches from the illegal abortion mandate, they both require payments to ADF and the church’s local attorneys to pay all legal costs. Interesting, in both lawsuits Mary Watanabe, the director of the California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) was named, and in one case she was the only defendant. Unfortunately, she walks away unharmed, because DMHC will pay for everything, out of tax dollars.
What made the mandate especially egregious is that it was written in league with officials at Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, as shown by emails [pdf] between DMHC and those officials. Though the first amendment of the Bill of Rights is quite clear, that government cannot restrict the religious rights of citizens or churches, DMHC, Planned Parenthood, and the ACLU teamed up to write regulations to do exactly that, and they did it outside the legislative process. Brianna Pittman, Planned Parenthood’s legislative advocate, repeatedly suggested DMHC come up with “an administrative solution, in lieu of legislation,” and DMHC officials immediately agreed, arranging a meeting with both Planned Parenthood and the ACLU in order to create the mandate.
That the ACLU was part of this process only illustrates once again how corrupted with politics that so-called free speech non-profit legal firm has become. Once, it stood firmly defending the first amendment in all cases. Now it conspires with others to nullify that first amendment, if it disagrees with the politics of those targeted.
It is for this reason that a host of new non-profit legal firms, such as the Alliance Defending Freedom, have recently sprung up. The ACLU was no longer defending free speech, there was a terrible need because of the modern leftist effort to blacklist its opponents, and someone had to step up to fill the vacuum.
Will this ruling change anything? Will California officials now stop working to impose the political will of leftist organizations like Planned Parenthood, in violation of the first amendment to the Constitution?
Nah. They will simply try again, since it didn’t cost them anything to violate the law. The taxpayers paid, while it was the churches who suffered after almost a decade fighting their illegal action. These goons will simply keep trying to stamp their boots into the faces of their opponents until someone finally stamps back, hard, making them feel some pain.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
I’m secular, but even I think she’s a despicable individual.
Related:
$1.4 million? That is nothing in the grand scheme of things for the now radical Leftists among us.
Here, here is your proof: https://nypost.com/2023/05/22/second-hunter-biden-irs-whistleblower-emerges-after-five-years-on-case/
Right in your face, and they dare you to say anything about it.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
And they are so far into this agenda to destroy America as founded they just do not care even when they are stone cold busted.
Right in your face America.
The problem is government authorities who abuse or break laws are never personally held accountable for their actions, the taxpayer is. In such actions the guilty individual must suffer the consequences of poor judgement or deliberate malice if such practices are not to continue, witness the activities of Marxist/racist DAs who just the Lord of the Flies Book of Law in NY, Philly, Chicago. St Louis, SF, Boston, etc.
if it disagrees with the politics of those targeted.
It’s the religion of those targeted with which it disagrees.
Most of the progressives who argued for “freedom” in the old days never really meant to have true freedom. They just wanted to take the governor off of society so they could have license to do whatever they want.