Judge blocks new birth-control rules

OAKLAND, Calif. — A U.S. judge in California on Sunday blocked rules proposed by President Donald Trump’s administration that would allow more employers to opt out of providing women with no-cost birth control.

Judge Haywood Gilliam granted a request for a preliminary injunction by California, 12 other states and Washington, D.C. The plaintiffs sought to prevent the rules from taking effect as scheduled today while a lawsuit against them moved forward.

But Gilliam limited the scope of the ruling to the plaintiffs — the 13 states and Washington, D.C. — rejecting their request that he block the rules nationwide.

The changes would allow more employers, including publicly traded companies, to opt out of providing no-cost contraceptive coverage to women by claiming religious objections. Some private employers could also object on moral grounds.

California and the other states argue that women would be forced to turn to state-funded programs for birth control and experience unintended pregnancies.