Paul Joseph Wieland (born December 24, 1962) is an American businessman and politician from the state of

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

. A member of the Republican Party, Wieland represents the 22nd District in the

Missouri State Senate The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 174,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...

Early life

Wieland was raised in

Jefferson County, Missouri Jefferson County is located in the eastern portion of the state of Missouri. It is a part of the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 226,739, making it the sixth-most populous county in Missouri. Its county s ...

. He graduated from St. Pius X High School in

Festus, Missouri Festus is a city situated in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States, and is also a suburb of St. Louis. It had a population of 12,706 individuals as of the 2020 census. Festus and its adjacent neighbor Crystal City are often collectively know ...

. Wieland worked in his family's auto parts business, and then opened his own small businesses.

Political career

During the

, General Municipal Election, Paul Wieland was a contender, and was elected to join the Jefferson County Health Center Board of Trustees April 3, 2007.

Missouri House of Representatives

On November 2, 2010, Paul Wieland was elected during the

, General Election for state representative for District 102. Wieland won as a Republican, defeating the Democratic candidate Jeff Roorda, as well as the Constitution Party candidate Richard Blowers. On November 6, 2012, Paul Wieland was elected during the

, General Election running for state representative of District 112. Wieland, won as a Republican, defeating Democratic candidate Daniel E. James.

Missouri Senate

On November 4, 2014, Paul Wieland was elected during the

, General Election running for state senator for the twenty-second district. Wieland, won as a Republican, defeating Democratic candidate Jeff Roorda.

Opposition to contraception

In August 2013, Wieland and his wife filed a lawsuit against the

United States Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...

, the Department of the Treasury, and the

Department of Labor The Ministry of Labour ('' UK''), or Labor ('' US''), also known as the Department of Labour, or Labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, training, a ...

, saying that in applying for health insurance as a government employee, he was not given the chance to opt out of coverage for contraceptives and abortifacients because of a provision in the

Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presid ...

. He lost the case in District Court in October 2013, but appealed the decision to the

United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (in case citations, 8th Cir.) is a United States federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States district courts: * Eastern District of Arkansas * Western Dis ...

based on the ''

Burwell v. Hobby Lobby ''Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.'', 573 U.S. 682 (2014), is a landmark decision in United States corporate law by the United States Supreme Court allowing privately held for-profit corporations to be exempt from a regulation its owners relig ...

'' decision by the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

. and in July 2016 won their appeal on the basis of the

Religious Freedom Restoration Act The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, Pub. L. No. 103-141, 107 Stat. 1488 (November 16, 1993), codified at through (also known as RFRA, pronounced "rifra"), is a 1993 United States federal law that "ensures that interests in religiou ...

. In 2021, Wieland proposed legislation that would prohibit Medicaid coverage for certain forms of contraception which, in his view, would destroy fetal life.

Personal life

Wieland and his wife, Terri, live in

Imperial, Missouri Imperial is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 4,407 at the 2020 census, down from 4,709 in 2010. Originally known as West Kimmswick, Imperial is located south of downtown St. Louis ...

, and have three daughters. Paul and Terri own the Wieland Insurance Group. He is a devout

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wieland, Paul 1962 births Living people Republican Party members of the Missouri House of Representatives People from Jefferson County, Missouri Businesspeople from Missouri 21st-century American politicians Catholics from Missouri