State to stop enforcing birth control law

By: Associated Press//July 24, 2014//

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Women activists representing the National Women's Law Center, left, and Planned Parenthood, right, stand outside the Senate chamber after Senate Democrats' effort to proceed on the “Protect Women’s Health From Corporate Interference Act,” was thwarted, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, July 16, 2014. Democrats sponsored the election-year bill to reverse last month's Supreme Court ruling that closely held businesses with religious objections could deny coverage under President Barack Obama's health care law. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) — Women activists representing the National Women’s Law Center (left) and Planned Parenthood (right) stand outside the U.S. Senate chamber July 16 after Senate Democrats’ effort to proceed on the Protect Women’s Health From Corporate Interference Act, was thwarted on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker’s administration will no longer enforce the state’s contraception coverage law for employers with religious objections following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month.

The decision riled birth control advocates and Democrats, who said Wednesday that Wisconsin law is not affected by the decision.

The Supreme Court ruled that companies with religious objections, like Hobby Lobby, can avoid the contraceptives requirement of the federal health care overhaul law.

Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner’s office spokesman J.P. Wieske said Wednesday that the state had no decision to make because it is federally pre-empted from enforcing the law.

Democratic attorney general candidate Jon Richards says if elected he would initiate legal action to require enforcement of the law. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mary Burke and others including Planned Parenthood also decried the decision.

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