More than two hundred people gathered today in front of Ann Arbor's Federal Building. They were protesting a recent federal mandate from the Department of Health and Human Services that requires all employer healthcare plans to provide contraceptive services.
Seven similar rallies were also held in Michigan, along with more than 100 others across the country organized by Catholic pro-life groups.
Christen Houck is a student at the University of Michigan.
"This mandate is unconstitutional based on the fact that it goes against people's religious consciences," she says. "That's something that we really need to protect. I do not think this is an issue about contraception, but it's really about religious freedom."
Twenty-eight states, including Michigan, already require coverage of contraceptives in employer healthcare plans. Michigan’s law includes a broad religious exemption.
-Alex Markel, Michigan Radio Newsroom
