“This is sufficient to state an injury in fact that is fairly traceable to SB 6219,” the appeals court said.
The church’s lawsuit, Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland v. Kreidler, challenges the constitutionality of forcing places of worship to cover elective abortions in their health insurance plans with no exemption for religious objections.
After the Washington state measure’s enactment in March 2018, Kaiser Permanente added abortion coverage to the church’s policy, which covers about 185 employees.
The Pentecostal church sued, with assistance from the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), but a district court said the church was not “injured” by the law’s provisions.