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Committee adopts amendment and reports favorably bill creating offense for obstructing worship
Summary
Senate Bill 306, creating a criminal offense for obstructing worship services and related protections, was amended to lower the maximum fine to $2,500 and reported favorably as amended after supporters stressed deterrence and the ACLU raised concerns about overbroad definitions.
Senate Bill 306, introduced by Senator Edmonds, was amended and reported favorably by the Criminal Justice Committee on April 29. The bill would create a state offense for obstructing or interfering with religious worship and enumerates conduct that could trigger criminal penalties.
Chair and staff proposed an amendment to lower the maximum fine from $10,000 to $2,500; staff read the change into the record and the amendment was adopted without objection. Supporters, including Jean Mills of the Louisiana Family Forum and Dr. Will Hall of the Louisiana Baptist Office of Public Policy, framed the bill as necessary to deter disruptive, intimidating behavior at houses of worship and to enable swift local action where federal remedies might be slow.
Sarah Whittington of the ACLU of Louisiana testified in opposition, arguing the bill's definitions could be redundant with existing criminal-damage and disorderly-conduct statutes and risk criminalizing lawful protest activity near places of worship. She asked the committee to consider narrowing the definitions to avoid chilling protected speech.
Zach Daniels, representing the District Attorneys Association, said the association had no uniform position across all bills but offered to work with authors on technical language. Representative Wally moved to report SB 306 favorably as amended; the chair recorded no objections and the committee reported the bill favorably as amended.
