Attorney General Ashley Moody, leading a coalition of 17 state attorneys general, has taken legal action against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for its new rule mandating accommodations for abortion under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2022. Moody expressed concerns stating, "Unelected commissioners under the Biden administration are seeking to hijack protections for pregnant workers by twisting language into an illegal interpretation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2022. We are fighting back against the unprecedented, attempted mutation of these laws."
The coalition of lawmakers, business groups, and nonprofit organizations supported the PWFA's aim of protecting pregnant women in the workplace and their unborn children. However, the EEOC's new rule has raised alarms as it requires employers to accommodate elective abortions, a move not authorized by the U.S. Congress. This rule also undermines state abortion prohibitions and the states' dedication to protecting prenatal life at all stages of development.
If the EEOC's rule is upheld, states like Florida and the other co-plaintiffs will be forced to support women's elective abortions or face federal lawsuits, even if such support goes against state laws. To challenge this mandate, the coalition of 17 states is filing a lawsuit to enjoin and set aside the EEOC's abortion-accommodation rule.
Attorney General Moody is joined by attorneys general from Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia in this legal action.