With Barrett On Supreme Court, California’s Church COVID Limits Are Being Overturned
Sunday, April 18, 2021 |
Sacramento, CA
The Supreme Court said California can no longer continue with a ban on indoor church services put in place amid the pandemic.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo
California’s churches are on a roll.
After more than a year of legal tussling with state public health officials over restrictions on indoor gatherings, houses of worship — mostly evangelical or Catholic and politically conservative — have been on a winning streak at the nation’s highest court.
Their latest victory came late last week when the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority put a hold on the state’s limits on indoor Bible study and other forms of worship. Most legal battles play out over years, and this was a preliminary decision; the justices reversed an appellate court’s decision not to suspend the state’s rules while the broader case plays out. But the court’s majority went out of its way to note a clear trend.