State Rep. Greg Barnes (R-Jasper) introduced legislation on Thursday that makes it a felony to enter a place of worship and intentionally disrupt services.
The bill was filed after a recent alleged "coordinated attack" on Cities Church in St. Paul that resulted in the arrest of Don Lemon by federal authorities.
"What we saw in Minnesota was unacceptable and disgusting behavior, and we are not going to tolerate it in Alabama," Barnes said in a statement. "If passed, HB 363 will send a crystal-clear message that our churches are off limits to radical activists who have no respect for others' right to worship."
HB 363 makes disrupting a worship service a crime under Alabama law. A first offense is classified as a Class C felony, with repeat offenses carrying the same charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
"No one has the right to disrupt a church service and infringe on their fellow citizens' right to worship freely," said Barnes. "In Alabama, we are not going to sit by and allow crazy people to intimidate our women, children, and the elderly in our churches. We simply will not tolerate it."
HB 363 makes it illegal for an individual to intentionally enter a church building or its contiguous property during a scheduled worship service with the intent to disrupt services or block access, and then engage in unlawful protest activity, riot, disorderly conduct, harassment of worshippers, or obstruction of entry or exit.
"The people of District 13 elected me to fight for our values, and in this state, we won't accept this behavior. We do not intimidate women, children, and the elderly in churches. We do not harass and threaten people in their places of worship," he said. "If passed, HB 363 will deter bad actors and punish anyone who would dare try."
HB 363 has more than 50 co-sponsors, and the legislation has been assigned to the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
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