State Watch

Kansas Supreme Court upholds order banning religious services of over 10 people

The Kansas Supreme Court late Saturday night upheld Gov. Laura Kelly’s (D) executive order banning religious services of more than 10 people on the eve of Easter Sunday, as COVID-19 concerns prohibited in-person services across the country.

Kelly filed the lawsuit Thursday after Kansas’s Republican-controlled legislature overturned her ruling. The governor appealed to the state’s Supreme Court so that a decision could made before Easter Sunday.

“The Court ruled swiftly and narrowly, relying on the plain language of House Concurrent Resolution No. 5025,” the court said in a release.

Many churches have canceled in-person services for Easter Sunday, opting to livestream worship that churchgoers can watch from their homes amid the coronavirus outbreak.

However, one Louisiana church is expecting 2,000 people for Easter services.

Both President Trump and Vice President Pence have said that they would be attending virtual Easter services and encouraged the country to do the same.