A proposal to prohibit emergency orders on places of worship is gaining support from Florida lawmakers.
Senator Jason Brodeur is seeking to ensure religious gatherings will be exempt from forced closures prohibiting a gathering of the masses.
When the coronavirus pandemic put a pause on in-person church services, Brodeur said it revealed a problem.
“It seems kind of silly that you can go to Publix or Target, but you can’t go to church,” Brodeur said.
Brodeur said faith leaders should have the freedom and not be forced to put in-person religious gatherings on hold completely.
“You’re probably more at risk wandering around the grocery store than you are parked in a pew for an hour not going anywhere,” he said.
The bill with bipartisan support has already passed through the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security Committee.
“Now there is an important provision in the bill that says if there is a general lockdown provision, something that’s really scary and everything is closed, then churches are too,” Brodeur said.