Kansas Supreme Court rules in favor of Governor’s executive order limiting religious services to 10 people

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s executive order limiting religious services to 10 people, the Washington Examiner reports.  Referring to the coronavirus outbreak that prompted the order, the Court said Saturday: “We agreed to expedite these proceedings due to the nature of the public health emergency all agree is present.”

Until the order came into effect on Wednesday, April 7, religious institutions and funerals in Kansas had been exempted from a more general coronavirus protective ban on assemblies of more than 10 persons.

Explaining why religious services and funerals would now be brought into line with other meetings, Kelly said in a statement last week:  “As Holy Week gets underway – and with Kansas rapidly approaching its projected ‘peak’ infection rate in the coming weeks – the risk for a spike in COVID-19 cases through church gatherings is especially dangerous. This was a difficult decision, and not one I was hoping to have to make.”

Kelly filed a rushed appeal to the Supreme Court Thursday after the Republican-controlled legislature overturned the ban. The Examiner reports that State Attorney General Derek Schmidt wrote in a memo: “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.”

In her statement giving the order last week, Kelly added: “I encourage all faith leaders to embrace alternative forms of worship that do not involve in-person congregation. Churches are live streaming services and bringing their parishioners together over Facebook Live for Bible Study. They also are looking for alternative ways to observe their rituals.

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