WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) sent a letter to Governor John Bel Edwards expressing concerns that an executive order banning church services with more than 250 people would violate First Amendment protections in the U.S. Constitution.
The letter reads, in part, “As you know, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution specifically bars the government from making laws respecting the establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. I agree that all our constituents and religious leaders should follow the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). However, the decision to gather should be the choice of the individual or institution and not a mandate by any government entity. The State has no authority to enforce this proclamation nor any ban on worship.”
The full text of the letter is available in pdf form here.
