Constitutional Amendment to Keep Religious Services Open During Disasters Passes Texas House
Texas | May 13, 2021
While other bills would apply to all religious activity, this proposed amendment would only apply to religious services.
Yesterday, the Texas House passed a proposal to keep churches, mosques, and temples open during disasters with bipartisan support.
Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 27 reached the House floor after passing the Texas Senate with 28 affirmative votes. Sens. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas) and Sarah Eckhardt (D-Austin) were the only two senators to vote nay, and Sen. Borris Miles (D-Houston) was counted absent.
It passed the House with 108 yeas and 33 nays according to the unofficial tally.
“SJR 27 very simply proposes a constitutional amendment making it explicitly clear that the state, or any political subdivision of the state, cannot close down or limit our houses of worship or religious services. Period,” said Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano), carrier of the bill’s House companion.
Rep. John Turner (D-Dallas) took issue with the proposed amendment’s broad language and said existing law, which forbids government interference in religion unless it is narrowly tailored to serve a compelling state interest, already protects religious liberty well enough.
“I am also a very strong supporter of religious liberty and believe deeply in the importance of faith and also religious services as described here on this floor, and I don’t want any differences about this amendment to obscure that fact,” Turner said.
“That said, I want to ask you about this amendment. One thing I see here in the language — it says that no rule or law or statute or order, et cetera, may… limit religious services, correct? So, for instance, that would mean there could never be any restrictions on capacity.”
(Excerpts from the Texan)