UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT

┐ CHRISTIAN HEALTHCARE CENTERS, INC. (23-1769); │ SACRED HEART OF JESUS PARISH, GRAND RAPIDS, │ JERRY HATLEY, ROBIN HATLEY, JOSEPH BOUTELL, │ RENEE BOUTELL, PETER UGOLINI, and KATIE UGOLINI > Nos. 23-1769/1781/1860 (23-1781); ST. JOSEPH PARISH ST. JOHNS (23-1860), │ Plaintiffs-Appellants, │ │ │ v. │ │ DANA NESSEL, et al., │ Defendants-Appellees. │ │ ┘

Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan at Grand Rapids. Nos. 1:22-cv-00787; 1:22-cv-01214; 1:22-cv-01154—Jane M. Beckering, District Judge.

Argued: June 11, 2024

Decided and Filed: September 20, 2024

Before: WHITE, STRANCH, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.

_________________

COUNSEL 23-1769 ARGUED: Bryan D. Neihart, ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM, Scottsdale, Arizona, for Appellant. Kimberly K. Pendrick, OFFICE OF THE MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellees. ON BRIEF: Bryan D. Neihart, Jonathan A. Scruggs, ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM, Scottsdale, Arizona, John J. Bursch, ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM, Washington, D.C., for Appellant. Kimberly K. Pendrick, Heather S. Meingast, Tonya C. Jeter, OFFICE OF THE MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellees. Steven W. Fitschen, NATIONAL LEGAL FOUNDATION, Chesapeake, Virginia, Frederick W. Claybrook, Jr., CLAYBROOK LLC, Washington, D.C., No. 23-1769/1781/1860 Christian Healthcare Ctrs., et al. v. Nessel, et al. Page 2

Randall L. Wenger, INDEPENDENCE LAW CENTER, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Miles E. Coleman, Adam B. McCoy, NELSON MULLINS RILEY & SCARBOROUGH LLP, Greenville, South Carolina, Erin N. Kniffin, ETHICS & PUBLIC POLICY CENTER, Washington, D.C., for Amici Curiae. 23-1781 ARGUED: Cody S. Barnett, ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM, Lansdowne, Virginia, for Appellants. Kimberly K. Pendrick, OFFICE OF THE MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellees. ON BRIEF: Cody S. Barnett, ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM, Lansdowne, Virginia, John J. Bursch, ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM, Washington, D.C., Ryan J. Tucker, Katherine L. Anderson, ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM, Scottsdale, Arizona, for Appellants. Kimberly K. Pendrick, OFFICE OF THE MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL, Detroit, Michigan, Cassandra A. Drysdale-Crown, Heather S. Meingast, OFFICE OF THE MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL, Lansing, Michigan, for Appellees. Steven W. Fitschen, NATIONAL LEGAL FOUNDATION, Chesapeake, Virginia, Randall L. Wenger, INDEPENDENCE LAW CENTER, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Miles E. Coleman, Adam B. McCoy, NELSON MULLINS RILEY & SCARBOROUGH LLP, Greenville, South Carolina, for Amici Curiae. 23-1860 ARGUED: William J. Haun, THE BECKET FUND FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, Washington, D.C., for Appellant. Kimberly K. Pendrick, OFFICE OF THE MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellees. ON BRIEF: William J. Haun, Lori H. Windham, Nicholas R. Reaves, Richard C. Osborne, THE BECKET FUND FOR RELIGIOUS LIBERTY, Washington, D.C., for Appel