Law & Justice Committee advances several bills, including measures on worship interference, garnishment exemptions and knives

The Senate Law & Justice Committee in executive session on Feb. 13 considered and voted to advance several bills to the next legislative steps, approving substitutes and recommending due-pass actions to rulemaking or ways-and-means committees.

Most prominently, the committee advanced Senate Bill 5436, which creates crimes and civil remedies for interfering with access to places of worship. Staff counsel Joe McKittrick summarized the substitute (Substitute Alpha) as adding "Gurudwara" to the definition of religious organizations, defining "religious services," prohibiting willful or reckless interference with access immediately before, during or after services, and authorizing a civil remedy of up to $5,000 per day for an aggrieved place of worship. The committee adopted Amendment Alpha 1, which removes mandatory minimum fines, jail time…