In an eleventh-hour move Saturday, the Kansas Supreme Court upheld Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's ban on gatherings of more than 10 people, including worship services, Jim McClean reports for NPR affiliate KCUR.
The Republican majority on the state Legislative Coordinating Council overturned the order on Tuesday, saying that social distancing is a good idea, but the order unconstitutionally violates personal freedom.
The high court was careful to note that it was not ruling on that issue, but how much power the legislature ceded to the governor during a state of emergency, and whether the LCC had overstepped its authority during an emergency, McLean reports.
The state Department of Health and Environment secretary told the LCC on Tuesday that three covid-19 clusters in Kansas had been traced to church gatherings, The Wichita Eagle reports. The same thing has happened in other states, including Kentucky.
Kentucky's governor, Democrat Andy Beshear, faced some pushback from Republicans on Easter weekend after enforcing his own ban on mass gatherings by having state police get license-plate numbers and have health departments ask church attendees to quarantine themselves for 14 days. "This is the only way we can make sure that your decisions doesn't kill someone else," he said Friday.
At Maryville Baptist Church in the Louisville suburb of Hillview, about 50 worshipers showed up on Sunday—two from pandemic hotbed New Jersey, on their way to Nashville reports WDRB-TV of Louisville. Many covered their license plates. Some in the community weren't happy about the service: a large bucket of nails had been strewn across the parking lot.
Troopers put notices on vehicle windshields saying they had to sign and obey a self-quarantine agreement or face "further enforcement measures." Several attendees told a reporter they would not
obey. Asked if the state would impose ankle monitors on them, Beshear said "It's not going to come to that," because their neighbors would "suggest that all of these folks need to stay home for 14 days."
The Republican majority on the state Legislative Coordinating Council overturned the order on Tuesday, saying that social distancing is a good idea, but the order unconstitutionally violates personal freedom.
The high court was careful to note that it was not ruling on that issue, but how much power the legislature ceded to the governor during a state of emergency, and whether the LCC had overstepped its authority during an emergency, McLean reports.
The state Department of Health and Environment secretary told the LCC on Tuesday that three covid-19 clusters in Kansas had been traced to church gatherings, The Wichita Eagle reports. The same thing has happened in other states, including Kentucky.
Kentucky's governor, Democrat Andy Beshear, faced some pushback from Republicans on Easter weekend after enforcing his own ban on mass gatherings by having state police get license-plate numbers and have health departments ask church attendees to quarantine themselves for 14 days. "This is the only way we can make sure that your decisions doesn't kill someone else," he said Friday.
At Maryville Baptist Church in the Louisville suburb of Hillview, about 50 worshipers showed up on Sunday—two from pandemic hotbed New Jersey, on their way to Nashville reports WDRB-TV of Louisville. Many covered their license plates. Some in the community weren't happy about the service: a large bucket of nails had been strewn across the parking lot.
Troopers put notices on vehicle windshields saying they had to sign and obey a self-quarantine agreement or face "further enforcement measures." Several attendees told a reporter they would not
obey. Asked if the state would impose ankle monitors on them, Beshear said "It's not going to come to that," because their neighbors would "suggest that all of these folks need to stay home for 14 days."
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