Catholic Charities of Sacramento, Inc. v. Superior Court

Opinion

WERDEGAR, J.

In this case, we address a church-affiliated employer’s constitutional challenges to the Women’s Contraception Equity Act (WCEA),1 under which certain health and disability insurance contracts must cover prescription contraceptives. The plaintiff employer, which opposes contraceptives on religious grounds, claims the statute violates the establishment and free exercise clauses of the United States and California Constitutions. (U.S. Const., 1st Amend.; Cal. Const., art. I, § 4.) The lower courts rejected the employer’s claims. We affirm.

I. Facts

The Legislature enacted the…