AG: A defense against alleged religious bias

RE: “Ferguson enforces anti-Christian bias,” (Letter, TNT, 6/8).

In accusing me of “anti-Christian bias,” the letter writer cites two cases my office handled: one involving a pharmacist refusing to sell emergency contraception and another regarding a florist who refused to sell flowers for a same-sex wedding.

Your readers should know that my office won both cases – unanimously.

In a 3-0 decision, a federal appeals court upheld Washington’s rule designed to keep women from being denied access to emergency contraception and other timely medication. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case, allowing the decision to stand.

Does the letter writer believe the Supreme Court is anti-Christian?

He also gives me too much credit. While I’m pleased we won the case, my Republican predecessor, Rob McKenna, initiated the defense of this important rule.

In the Arlene’s Flowers case, the State Supreme Court unanimously agreed that Washington’s law against discrimination prohibits businesses from refusing to deny services for same-sex weddings that they provide for opposite-sex weddings.

We won these cases because the law and the constitution were overwhelmingly on our side.

This story was originally published June 18, 2017 at 5:41 PM with the headline "AG: A defense against alleged religious bias."