The state Legislature of Kansas shot down an executive order from the governor that restricted attendance at religious gatherings.
Voting largely on party lines Wednesday, the state Legislature struck down an order issued by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly a day earlier that limited religious gatherings for Easter and Passover to a maximum of 10 people. Republicans argued the order violated constitutional religious liberty protections, while Democrats, such as Kelly, called the act “shockingly irresponsible” to public health concerns.
“There are real-life consequences to the partisan games Republicans played today,” Kelly said.
Republican Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, however, issued a statement Wednesday against Kelly’s order, calling it “unconstitutional.”
“The Office of Attorney General strongly encourages all Kansans participating in religious services or activities to voluntarily comply with the new restrictions on religious mass gatherings in order to protect public health,” Schmidt wrote in a memorandum to law enforcement agencies and prosecutors statewide.
“Nevertheless, … we also strongly discourage law enforcement from attempting to enforce the requirements of EO 20-18 as violations of the criminal law. In our view, Kansas statute and the Kansas Constitution’s Bill of Rights each forbid the governor from criminalizing participation in worship gatherings by executive order.”
According to the New York Times, there have been over 1,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Kansas and approximately 38 deaths. Effective March 30, all residents are required to abide by a stay-at-home order until at least Sunday, April 19.
More than 1.5 million people have tested positive for the coronavirus globally. Of those, more than 88,000 have died from it, and more than 329,000 have recovered. The United States has seen at least 431,000 confirmed cases, with over 14,000 deaths and nearly 24,000 reported recoveries.
