Catholic TV and radio network sues Obama administration over birth control funding

Under the new healthcare law passed last year, employers who provide health insurance coverage for their employees must also pay for birth control and other forms of contraception ... even employers whose religious beliefs forbid birth control in any form.

Now a Birmingham, Ala.-based Catholic television and radio network with a presence on cable TV and at least two radio stations in the Tri-State - EWTN - has sued the Obama administration over that new rule.

Birmingham TV station WBRC-TV reports that EWTN CEO Michael Warsaw says the rule means either his network must do something that is against its beliefs, or drop coverage entirely - but there's another catch. If EWTN drops its employees' insurance plan, the government will fine the network $600,000 in the first year, and a higher amount in succeeding years.

"It's not just a Catholic issue," Warsaw told WBRC's Clare Huddleston. "It impacts all of us who are part of the faith-based community."

Some say all employers should have access to contraception, but Warsaw stresses that it's not just about that. "This is not an issue about contraceptives. This is not an issue to healthcare services. This is first and foremost about freedom of speech and freedom of religion. These are constitutional issue[s] that the court needs to review."