Denver Councilwoman Denies Company Award Because Owner Opposes Obamacare
A family-owned company in Denver is no longer getting the honor it deserves because executives decided to oppose the president’s contraception mandate. A Denver city councilwoman was planning to give the Newland family an award of recognition for employing hundreds of people at its Hercules manufacturing plant, but the councilwoman had a change of heart, saying the family’s opposition to the mandate is “too controversial.”
Bill Newland, President and CEO of Hercules Industries, joined Fox and Friends to talk about the snub. Newland said that the 50-year-old business has a history of success “that’s been guided by our values and believes they are rooted in our Catholic faith.”
Greg Baylor, an attorney for Alliance Defending Freedom, said, “We can all agree that politicians shouldn’t use someone’s faith or their stand for freedom to deny them recognition for the good service that they’ve provided to their community.”
Robin Kneich, the councilwoman at the center of the issue, said in a statement, “I opted not to submit a ceremonial Proclamation on Hercules Industries in the hope of avoiding a partisan food fight in a rancorous election year. Obviously, the hunger for red meat is just too great, and I regret that this has taken on so much interest.”
