File photo (MGN)LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- 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 because they 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 in 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. They say the rule violates the rights of employers that object to the use of contraceptives, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs.
Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning says plaintiffs are deciding whether to appeal.
A call to the Nebraska Attorney General's office wasn't immediately returned.
