Illinois Pharmacists Take Conscience to Court

Two Illinois pharmacists who refuse to provide emergency contraception will defend their right of denial in Illinois Supreme Court. The pharmacists, Luke Vander Bleek and Glen Kosirog, see themselves as conscientious objectors to some guy called Governor Rod Blagojevich’s 2005 executive order requiring pharmacists to dispense contraception.

Their reasoning? “Deeply held religious convictions” coupled with the belief “that the drug can act as an abortion-causing agent.”

I’m interested to see how this pans out, especially in light of Bush’s “conscience” rule, which was finalized yesterday. Illinois’ ACLU reproductive rights project director Lorie Chaiten characterizes the conflict as between “the right to free exercise of religion and the right to access reproductive health care.”

Well, if Vander Bleek and Kosirog lose, they can always open up a pharmacy in Washington, D.C.