Judge dismisses contraception rule lawsuit filed by seven states

LINCOLN, Neb. – A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by seven states that sought to block a contraception coverage rule within the federal health care law.

U.S. District Court Judge Warren K. Urbom ruled Tuesday that the states had no standing in the lawsuit, because they had failed to prove they would suffer immediate harm once the rule is enacted.

Urbom said Catholic groups that joined the lawsuit also failed to show that a religious exemption written into the rule wouldn't apply to them.

The lawsuit was filed by Republican attorneys general from Nebraska, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas. Plaintiffs also include three Nebraska-based employers affiliated with the Catholic Church, a nun and a female missionary.

A call to the Nebraska Attorney General's office wasn't immediately returned.