Sixteen states are filing amicus curiae briefs in support of three Christian universities engaged in a court battle over contraception mandates in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Houston Baptist University, East Texas Baptist University and Westminster Theological Seminary are fighting the administrative review process set up by the Obama administration to consider requests from employers who object to providing contraceptives to their employees.

Under the current framework, nonprofits with religious objections notify the government, which then allows for the insurer to provide the birth control directly to beneficiaries, without the involvement of the employer. The three universities, however, argue that even this process is an undue burden on their religious freedom.

After having their claims rejected by the 5th Circuit U.S. District Court, the schools are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Read: Are insurers skirting PPACA’s birth control rules?

Last month Wheaton College, a Chicago-area Evangelical institution that was making essentially the same case, announced it would drop health coverage entirely for students to avoid complying with the mandate. Like Wheaton, the three schools in the lawsuit are affiliated with churches that are not against all forms of contraception, but oppose certain methods that they equate to abortion, such as the morning-after pill and intrauterine devices.

The states joining the universities in their fight against the Obama administration are all led by conservative, Republican governors. According to a statement provided to Fox News, the states include: Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Ohio Gov. John Kasich are both making underdog bids to win the GOP nomination for president. Conspicuously absent from the court battle is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, one of the leading GOP presidential candidates.

Instant Insights /

16 states join universities in birth control mandate lawsuit

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