Have You Been Following The Hobby Lobby Case? This Is How the Supreme Court Reacted Today. Today the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby.

◼ Hobby Lobby is facing potential fines of over $475 million a year because Obamacare violates their religious beliefs. We've been covering it from moment one. - Derrick Morgan, Hans von Spakovsky and Elizabeth Slattery/THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION

President Obama’s health care law made its way back to the Supreme Court of the United States today. In addition to being unsound health care policy by limiting patient choice and increasing costs, it also requires businesses to pay for abortion-inducing drugs. This morning, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius, two challenges to the Obamacare mandate.

Hobby Lobby is an arts and crafts chain owned by the Green family, who are evangelical Christians, with over 13,000 employees. Hobby Lobby would face potential fines of almost $475 million a year if they fail to comply with this mandate. Conestoga Wood Specialties is a kitchen cabinet manufacturer run by the Hahns, a Mennonite family, with almost 1,000 employees. It would face financial penalties of about $35 million per year. Along with more than 300 plaintiffs in over 90 lawsuits, the Green and Hahn families believe that complying with the Obamacare mandate would force them to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.

The First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) protect the free exercise of religion. Under RFRA, the government may not substantially burden the free exercise of religion unless it can show that the burden advances a compelling interest using the least restrictive means of achieving that interest. That’s a high bar. At issue in this case is whether these family businesses have religious liberty rights.

◼ Hobby Lobby case: Justices skeptical of White House position - POLITICO

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed skepticism of the legality of the Obama administration’s refusal to accommodate for-profit companies’ religious objections to the Obamacare requirement that most firms provide contraception in their employee health plans.

A majority of the justices seemed particularly doubtful of one of the administration’s central legal claims: the assertion that for-profit companies have no religious rights under federal law.

During more than 90 minutes of arguments, several justices repeatedly questioned why the administration couldn’t give for-profit companies with religious objections the same kind of accommodation that has been offered to religious nonprofits. Those organizations have been offered the chance to opt-out of contraceptive coverage and have it provided through their insurance company or administrator.

◼ The oral argument in the Hobby Lobby religious freedom and contraception case. - Althouse

◼ SCOTUSblog and ◼ The Wall Street Journal have some detail to their coverage, but I'm going to read the transcript ◼ (PDF).

◼ Argument Follow-up In The Contraception Mandate Cases - Ace Of Spades
◼ Reviewing The Legal Arguments In The Contraception Mandate Cases - Ace Of Spades
◼ The Obamacare tax credit and subsidy case argued today in the shadow of Hobby Lobby - Le-gal In-sur-rec-tion
◼ Sotomayor, Kagan: Hobby Lobby Should Drop Insurance, Pay Penalty and Let Employees Use Exchange - Penny Starr/CNS News

...“But isn't there another choice nobody talks about, which is paying the tax, which is a lot less than a penalty and a lot less than -- than the cost of health insurance at all?”...

◼ Ted Cruz, Veteran of 9 Supreme Court Arguments, Says First Amendment on Trial Today - Rob Bluey/Heritage The Foundry
◼ INFOGRAPHIC: What Exactly This Hobby Lobby Case Is About