LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced Saturday the filing of an amicus brief before the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky in support of a Louisville church's drive-in church service during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Cameron cites it is the church's First Amendment right to hold the service.
The church, On Fire Christian Center, is seeking a preliminary injunction against Louisville Metro after claiming it sought to prohibit drive-in church services.
On April 11, a federal judge granted On Fire’s request for a temporary restraining order, allowing the church to hold a drive-in service on Easter Sunday.
The amicus brief filed by AG Cameron asserts that the Beshear administration’s March 19 order unconstitutionally prohibits drive-in church services.
“The ability of Americans to worship is one of the bedrocks of our constitutional structure, and without it, we would not be the nation we are,” said AG Cameron. “Arbitrarily targeting the practice of religion, as the Beshear administration’s order does, plainly violates the First Amendment. As long as business operations are allowed to continue during the pandemic while following social distancing guidelines, churches must be allowed to hold drive-in services without fear of targeting from their elected leaders.”
AG Cameron's brief also asserts that Louisville Metro violated both the First Amendment and Kentucky law because they target only churchgoers, but not other community organizations or business entities.
More from WHAS11:
- Kentucky State Police mark license plate numbers of churchgoers who attended in-person services
- Drive-in Easter service at Louisville church given green light by federal judge
- Maryville Baptist Church sues Beshear for 'violating religious freedom'
- Kentucky churchgoers sue Beshear for notices of quarantine
- 33 license plates recorded, KSP finds only one church that violated governor's order on Easter Sunday
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