Colorado caucus resolution against conscience-violating contraception mandates

The federal contraception and sterilization insurance coverage mandate is in the news. Many Catholic parishes have heard from the pulpit about the dangers this poses to religious liberty and public morality. The mandate’s narrow religious exemption does not apply to Catholic health care systems, charities, and educational institutions.

Religious colleges may even be forced to provide free contraceptives to their unmarried students in their insurance plans. Religious hypocrisy is disgusting. But in this case it is being made mandatory!

Coloradans who are registered members of a political party can take a concrete step in upcoming weeks to push the political process towards reform of the federal regulation and of a 2010 state law (H.B. 1021) which does much the same thing.

Go to your party’s local caucus and stick around for the entire meeting. Vote delegates you trust on this issue to go to the county, congressional and state assemblies, or stand as a delegate yourself.

And at the appropriate point of the caucus, introduce this resolution to make your party’s leaders pay attention:

Resolution to Restore Religious Freedom and Moral Conscience in Health Insurance Mandates

Whereas religious liberty is a foundational principle of the United States and the great state of Colorado;

Whereas federal and state governments are violating this noble freedom by mandating that conscientious objectors provide no-co-pay insurance coverage for sterilization procedures and contraceptives, including abortion-causing contraceptives;

Whereas these mandates pose great difficulties for local educational institutions like Colorado Christian University and Regis University, which are involved in the moral formation of young people;

Whereas these mandates pose great difficulties for religious health care systems and charities whose religiously-motivated endeavors have contributed to the general welfare;

Whereas the religious and moral objections of all employers are worthy of protection and reasonable accommodation;

Be it resolved that:

The Democratic / Republican Party shall secure effective legal exemptions for institutions and businesses with religious and / or moral objections to providing insurance coverage for sterilization procedures and contraceptives.

(Be sure to edit the final passage so the party of your caucus is the one mentioned.)

The GOP Caucuses are on Feb. 7, while the Democratic Caucuses are on March 6.

See www.cocaucus.org for more information.