“I, therefore, respectfully ask you to treat people of faith by the same standards you have treated protests and 'essential businesses' and that you rescind the capacity cap on churches and other places of worship.”

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today wrote to Gov. John Bel Edwards, asking that he rescind the capacity cap currently on places of worship and extend the same phase two capacity rules guiding protesters and “essential businesses.”

“According to your guidance, 'essential businesses' do not have uniform capacity limits and instead are trusted to determine individual safety requirements in coordination with the state. Places of worship, therefore, should also be exempt from mandatory capacity limits and their pastors and leaders entrusted to choose the best course of action for their congregations. . . . I disagree with this uneven application of Phase 2 guidelines, as I find no reason to assume the best of protestors and patrons of 'essential businesses' but the worst of worshipers,” wrote Kennedy.

On June 4, 2020, Gov. Edwards signed an executive order to move Louisiana into phase two of the state’s reopening plan.

“I, therefore, respectfully ask you to treat people of faith by the same standards you have treated protests and 'essential businesses' and that you rescind the capacity cap on churches and other places of worship,” Kennedy concluded.

Kennedy’s letter is available here.