Hawaii Attorney General David Louie has joined 14 states in signing an amicus curiae brief filed in the U.S. Supreme Court “asking the court to strike down a lower court’s ruling that would allow for-profit companies to deny essential healthcare to female employees based on the religious beliefs of the company’s owners,” according to a press release.

The friend-of-the-court brief, co-authored by California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, urges the high court to overturn a ruling in Kathleen Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

“An employer should not be allowed to restrict access to essential services, including contraception, because of the religious views of the employer,” Louie said, “particularly when the right to these services is protected under federal law.” 

Read the brief.

Photo: Screen shot, Jan. 31, 2014. (Hawaii AG’s Office)

—Chad Blair