A Circuit Court judge issued a temporary restraining order Friday that halts enforcement of an Illinois regulation that requires state pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception (EC). According to the Associated Press, the order applies only to the five pharmacies owned by Luke Vander Bleek and Glenn Kosirog, who filed the original suit.
Vander Bleek and Kosirog cite religious opposition to emergency contraception as the reason behind their refusal to stock and distribute EC.
The Illinois Supreme Court (see PDF) reversed a lower court decision denying the pharmacists’ case in December 2008. The restraining order will remain in place until the Circuit Court hears arguments in the case.
