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Chair Scogg introduces RS33100And97 to clarify disruption-of-worship enforcement
Summary
Chair Bruce Scogg presented RS33100And97 to clarify that willful disruptions of religious worship can qualify as disturbing the peace, with language edits proposed by prosecutors to avoid First Amendment conflicts.
Chair Bruce Scogg asked the committee to introduce RS33100And97 to make explicit that malicious and willful disturbances of a religious assembly fall within disturbing-the-peace statutes.
"There's been some issues nationally and in Idaho where people intentionally disturb religious services... this makes very clear that it includes persons who maliciously and willfully disturb any assemblage of people gathered for religious worship," Scogg said, adding that the change is intended to make it easier for law enforcement to classify such conduct as disturbing the peace. He noted some draft language was modified at a prosecutor's request to avoid constitutional problems with protected speech.
Members pressed about First Amendment limitations and unconventional public worship (examples included street worship and horn-blowing); Scogg said the bill is aimed at disruptive conduct rather than the content of speech. Representative Vihar moved to introduce the RS and the committee carried the introduction.
