Alabama Lawmakers Consider Bill That Would Make It a Felony To Intentionally Disrupt a Church Service

Lawmakers in Alabama are considering a bill that would make it a felony to intentionally disrupt a worship service, as Republicans in several states are pushing forward similar bills in the wake of an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest at a St. Paul church last month. Nine people — including fired CNN star Don Lemon — have been arrested and are facing federal charges of conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshippers at a church at St. Paul last month. The federal charges come as Minnesota’s Democratic attorney general, Keith Ellison, said the disruption was First Amendment-protected activity. In the wake of the demonstration, lawmakers in Alabama are moving a bill through the state legislature that would make it a felony to interrupt church services. The representative who sponsored the legislation, Greg Barnes, said when he introduced the bill, which has 50 cosponsors, “What we saw in Minnesota was unacceptable and disgusting behavior, and we are not going to tolerate it in Alabama.”“If passed, HB363 will send a crystal-clear message that our churches are off limits to radical activists who have no respect for others’ right to worship,” he said. “No one has the right to disrupt a church service and infringe on their fellow citizens’ right to worship freely.”The bill would make it a Class C felony for an individual to enter a church and intentionally disrupt services or block access to the building and engage in unlawful protest activity, a riot, disorderly conduct, or harassment of worshippers. The House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security passed the bill, sending it to the full House, where it is expected to receive a vote in the coming weeks. Mr. Barnes said during a hearing on the bill that it has protections to ensure that parishioners would not be charged for having a disagreement with a pastor, for example.A Democratic representative, Chris England, asked if the bill someone would be considered disrupting the service if they took offense to something a pastor said and “tell[s] the preacher, ‘This ain’t the truth preacher.”Mr. Barnes responded, “This is not someone that … attends church there. This is someone who comes from outside with the intent to go in and disrupt the service, cause harm, harassment, [or] disorderly conduct.”If passed, those convicted could face up to 10 years in prison. In several states, such as California, New York, Massachusetts, and Virginia, it is a misdemeanor to intentionally disrupt a religious assembly. It is a misdemeanor in Florida to “willfully and maliciously” interrupt a worship service, but it can be bumped up to a felony if the disruption become as a threat. In Minnesota, it is a misdemeanor to “intentionally and physically [obstruct] any individual’s access to or egress from a religious establishment.”After the St. Paul incident, Republican lawmakers in Kentucky, Ohio, Louisiana, and Tennessee started working on passing laws that would criminalize church disruptions. Last week, Oklahoma’s governor, Kevin Stitt, signed a bill that makes it a misdemeanor to use profanity, commit rude or indecent acts, or make unnecessary noises during worship services. First-time offenders face a $500 fine or up to a year in prison. For subsequent offenses, the individual faces up to a $1,000 fine and two years in prison.

Alabama Lawmakers Consider Bill That Would Make It a Felony To Intentionally Disrupt a Church Service

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