Proposed Law Forbids Lockdowns On Houses of Worship
Local News Staff 
Churches and other religious institutions couldn’t be stopped from packing the pews during future health crises under a measure that started moving forward Tuesday in the Florida Senate.
The Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security Committee backed a measure (SB 254) intended to shield religious services from being shut down because of state emergency orders. The proposal came after high-profile disputes in various parts of the country about shuttering churches during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bill sponsor Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, said the proposal wouldn’t preclude religious leaders from acting on their own to conduct services virtually during a crisis, but he thinks more people want the in-person experience.
“If you think about the act of going to a house of worship, for most, it functions very much like a restaurant,” Brodeur said. “If you wear a mask on the way in, once you're seated, that's kind of where you're sitting. And so, for folks, during a pandemic, a place of worship may be the most essential service that they can have, more so than a grocery store or movie theater or restaurant.”
