The U.S. Supreme Court is currently overseeing a case relating to abortion restrictions imposed by the state of Idaho. Companies including Match Group & Bumble Inc have shared their perspective with the court, highlighting how these laws will affect business operations.
Law360 explains that the case in question looks at whether abortion restrictions enacted in Idaho conflict with federal laws regarding access to emergency healthcare.
Ahead of the case’s next session in the Supreme Court, a number of companies have contributed their perspective on the issue as part of a 22 page amicus brief. An amicus brief is when an individual or organisation, not involved directly in the legal case, shares information or expertise that can assist the court.
Among the companies involved are Match Group, Bumble Inc, fashion brand Levi’s, and ride hailing platform Lyft. The companies collaborated with Sarah Cummings Stewart of law firm Reed Smith LLP on the brief, Law360 reports.
“You can make a whole lot of arguments about why these laws are bad in general, but this particular perspective sheds light on why they’re bad for businesses and the economy,” Cummings Steward said.
The submitted brief states that: “the hard truth is that Idaho’s attempt to carve out an exception to the federal guarantee of emergency medical care for pregnant women raises critical — and even existential – concerns for businesses across the country, especially those that are women-owned and operated”.
If these abortion restrictions were to stay in place, one challenge facing businesses is the difficulty in recruiting workers to move to a state with more restrictive laws. Furthermore businesses could see increased turnover, more staff taking time off work, and more.
Read Law360’s full analysis here.
