Before the sun set on the day of the final passage of SB 749, a Kansas City labor organization filed suit in Cole County Circuit Court seeking to invalidate the law. The suit seeks an injunction to prevent enforcement of the new law, arguing that SB 749 is preempted by the recently passed Affordable Care Act and by ERISA, a federal law that governs employee benefit plans offered by private employers. The lawsuit also argues that SB 749 violates the Missouri Human Rights Act, stating it discriminates on the basis of sex and religion.
Numerous federal lawsuits have already been filed challenging the federal HHS mandate, including one filed on behalf of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and Catholic Charities of St. Louis.
The MCC looks forward to joining with others in vigorously defending the new SB 749 religious liberty law.
My husband, E.E. Keenan, a practicing Catholic, filed suit on behalf of Missouri’s working women. Jesus preached a message of inclusion and empowerment, particularly of women. This bill is un-Christian.