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Republicans in Wisconsin this week are seeking to keep church doors open during emergencies with a constitutional amendment to prevent the repeat of 2020’s Covid-19 “stay-at-home” orders which saw churches having to shut down.
Rep. Ty Bodden and Sen. Cory Tomczyk have brought forward an amendment that will bar any government agencies, both local and state, from closing places of worship during state or national emergencies.
“Places of worship for Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, or any other practicing religions should not be closed by any level of government at any time; doing so interferes with religious practice and undermines the foundation of our state and nation.”
Rep. Ty Bodden via AP News
This is a response to the closure of small businesses and places of worship during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic that was ordered under the Biden administration. In 2021, Republicans in Wisconsin attempted to push a bill to prevent this from happening but were unsuccessful. Now they’re trying again, but this time with a constitutional amendment.
State Rep. Karen Hurd supported this amendment and, according to AP News, feels that closing places of worship is “an assault that disrupts the very underpinnings of this vital freedom (of religion).”
This push for the new amendment couldn’t have come at a better time, with many Americans, including President Trump, feeling that there is growing hostility to Christianity in America and that religious freedom is being threatened.
Earlier in the year, Fox News reported what the president of the Catholic League, Bill Donohue, thought about the hostility towards Christianity. Donohue had said, “I’ve never seen a more anti-Catholic administration in my life.”
Christianity has always been a part of America’s heritage, and the closure of churches, as well as other places of worship, threatens this heritage. Other states like Arizona, Florida, North Dakota, and South Carolina have already passed legislation that is similar to this, and Republicans are hoping Wisconsin will be added to this list.