Washington senators face uphill battle in effort to overturn Hobby Lobby decision, protect contraceptive care

A group of Democratic Washington state senators is gearing up for what could be a fierce battle aimed at overturning the controversial Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision that allowed companies to restrict women’s access to contraception and birth control through their employer’s health coverage.

“We think that’s a total overreach and we think that breaks our state laws and our state constitution,” says Sen. Karen Keiser, one of five Democrats originally sponsoring the bill that aims to negate last summer’s 5-4 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby case.

The ruling upheld Hobby Lobby’s contention it could ban birth control coverage for religious reasons, even though the Affordable Care Act requires contraceptive coverage.

But Keiser, along with fellow senators Jamie Pedersen, Jeanne Kohl-Welles, David Frockt and Kevin Ranker hope to overturn that with their measure.

“I fundamentally believe that individuals have their own rights to health care choices on just about every level, and on the issue of birth control that’s fundamental to women’s rights and human rights,” Keiser says.

While a number of other Democrats have signed on to the bill, Keiser admits getting it passed won’t be easy. The Republican takeover of the state senate in November means GOP lawmakers opposed to the bill could keep it from even getting a hearing, let alone a vote.

Keiser says she’s spoken with a number of Republicans about signing on to the bill. None have.