Hercules Business Wins Case against HHS Mandate

A family business in Denver has won a big victory in their legal battle against the birth control coverage mandate in Obamacare.

A federal district court has just exempted Hercules Industries from the mandate.

The mandate forces employers, regardless of their religious convictions, to provide health insurance coverage which includes abortion-inducing drugs. If employers object, they face the threat of crippling financial penalties through the IRS.

But the court ruled Hercules does not have to comply, stating: "On June 30, 2014, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Hobby Lobby, concluding that the Contraceptive Mandate, as applied to closely held corporations, violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act."

The owners of the Hercules HVAC company previously told CBN News they should not have to provide coverage for drugs that induce abortion because it violates their religious freedom.

"(The Obama administration) said in the court case that Hercules gave up our right for religious freedom when we made the free choice to enter the marketplace of commerce," Bill Newland, owner of Hercules, said. "We're given the choice to comply with the mandate or give up our business."

The family's lawyer from the Alliance Defending Freedom argues the mandate violates the religious rights of many Americans.

"Americans should be free to live and work according to their faith without fear of punishment by the government," ADF Senior Legal Counsel Matt Bowman said. "In this country, citizens have always had the freedom to believe, the freedom to express those beliefs, and the freedom to operate their businesses in accord with those beliefs."

Other Obamacare contraception mandate cases are still working their way through the courts.