KFDA - NewsChannel 10 / Amarillo News, Weather, SportsControversial birth control requirement

Controversial birth control requirement

AMARILLO, Texas - A federal birth control ruling has many religious groups upset, while women's right supporters are singing its praises.

The new federal birth control ruling is ordering birth control must be covered in employee health insurance plans. Some religious employers say supporting contraceptives forces them to go against their teachings.

"From conception to natural death. I mean, we've been brought up with that tradition... It's not a tradition, it's a teaching. There's no way that we can say that we're for women's health care when we don't care about the life within the womb," Stephanie Frausto with Respect Life Ministries said.

Supporters think otherwise.

"I think it's a very generous ruling because it gives the religious organizations additional time to work out an exemption for them... Nobody's trying to force them to do anything. They're trying to force us not to have birth control," women's rights supporter Claudia Stravato said.

Under the order, employers would be required to offer birth control in their health plans, free of co-pays or deductibles. Opponents of the order can try to challenge the issue in court or try to get an exemption passed by congress.

The ruling is set to go into effect this August.