Craft store standing up for their beliefs

Tyler TX — An update on a story we brought you in September. The CEO of Hobby Lobby, David Green, filed a lawsuit against the mandate under Obama care requiring them to provide the morning after pill within their employees health insurance.

Now, that the corporation lost in court earlier this month their attorney tells KETK they have filed for an appeal, that could ultimately affect their nearly 22,000 employees.

Hobby Lobby was founded to, "Honor God by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles." One East Texan, Ashley Johnson, said, "People are applying there they kind of have the idea in the back of their head that this is a Christian organization, so its kind of intruding on I want to say separation of church and state a little bit."

Back in September when the mandate was first issued, Green said the abortion-causing drugs are against their companies faith. He said, "We simply cannot abandon our religious beliefs to comply with this mandate." Also in September, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, filed a lawsuit against the health and human services mandate, on behalf of Hobby Lobby. Another East Texan, Rhonda Livingston, said, "I think they need to stand up for their beliefs, I'm behind them one hundred percent."

But that lawsuit was overruled by a judge in an Oklahoma courtroom. Green's attorney, Eric Baxter, tells us the government will be filing their opposition to the appeal on Friday. "He acknowledged that this is a serious religious belief on behalf of the green family, he acknowledged that the mandate violates that religious belief , but he basically said the violation is not substantial enough," said Baxter. He also said, if the appeal gets over ruled again the green family will be forced to question the idea of closing their nearly 500 stores.

Livingston said, "Well I scrapbook so it'd really affect me bad." Johnson said, "I would be upset i like their Christmas stuff and their scrapbooking." Baxter told KETK the government has put the Green family in an impossible situation. Johnson said, "I agree with the health care mandates that are coming through but I don't feel like there should be force when theres an organization that it goes against their core principles."