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Thomas More Society Congratulates MO State Representative Wieland, Now State Senator-Elect, for Resilient Stance for Religious Liberty
Thomas More Society Client Paul Wieland Wins Senate Race

Continuing to stand for religious liberty against the HHS Mandate


Contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net

ST LOUIS, Mo., Nov. 7, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Thomas More Society congratulates client State Representative Paul Wieland, now state senator-elect for Jefferson County, MO, on his strong stance for life and religious liberty. In August, 2013, Thomas More Society filed a lawsuit on behalf of Paul Wieland and his wife Teresa against the HHS mandate, suing the federal government for violating the Wielands' religious liberty, free speech, and parental rights by requiring them to pay for group insurance coverage for their family that includes abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization, and birth control.

"We applaud Mr. Wieland for courageously stepping forward to uphold the values of life, family, and religious liberty," said Tom Brejcha, Thomas More Society president and chief counsel. "State Senator-Elect Wieland has led in this new battle against the HHS individual abortion pill mandate. We are proud to continue to represent him, now on appeal to the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court, through our special counsel Tim Belz."

The United States Supreme Court ruled in Hobby Lobby that for-profit employers may opt out of the HHS abortion pill mandate by invoking the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, because their exercise of religious faith is substantially burdened when the government forces them to provide religiously objectionable insurance coverage for their employees. Furthermore, there is no compelling government interest at stake which could not be served by a less burdensome alternative.

Paul and Teresa Wieland are devout Catholics, and they believe that their religious freedom, as individuals and as parents, should also be protected under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Oral arguments in Wieland v. HHS were presented before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in September, 2014. A decision from the Eighth Circuit is still forthcoming.

"The federal government should not coerce anyone, including our clients the Wielands, into abandoning their deeply held religious convictions," added Mr. Brejcha. "Paul Wieland and his family believe that Americans must stand up for religious freedom and for the rights of parents to raise their children according to their religious principles."

About the Thomas More Society
The Thomas More Society is a not-for-profit, national public interest law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. Based in Chicago, the Thomas More Society defends and fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way to the United States Supreme Court.
www.thomasmoresociety.org