A bill that limits the governor’s power to close churches and that broadens religious liberty protections for houses of worship became law in Arkansas this week.The bill, HB 1211, passed by overwhelming margins in the state House and Senate in the midst of a worldwide pandemic that saw governments force churches to close their doors.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, said Wednesday he would allow the bill to become law without his signature. He defended his actions during the pandemic, saying they had not infringed on religious freedoms.
“Great care has been taken by the executive branch to avoid infringing on these sacred rights,” Hutchinson said in a letter this week to House Speaker Matthew Shepherd, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “Churches and religious institutions are specifically excluded from any directives that could be interpreted as applicable to them.” ...
