Judge lets over 8,000 Catholic employers deny worker protections for abortion and fertility care

Associated Press

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge is allowing more than 8,000 Catholic employers nationwide to reject government regulations that protect workers seeking abortions and fertility care. In a sharply worded order framed as protecting religious freedoms, U.S. District Judge Daniel Traynor, of North Dakota, granted a preliminary injunction Monday. He says the Catholic Benefits Association and the Diocese of Bismarck were likely to succeed in proving that a final rule adopted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in April violated their freedom of religion. The regulations are meant to enforce the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which passed with bipartisan support in 2022.