SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — State Representative Greg Barnes has introduced legislation that would make the intentional disruption of worship services a felony under Alabama law, citing recent incidents in other states that have drawn national attention and concern.
House Bill 363, filed last week, would classify the intentional disruption of a scheduled worship service as a Class C felony. Under the bill, repeat offenses would carry the same felony classification along with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.
Barnes said the legislation was prompted in part by a widely publicized incident in Minnesota, where a group of protesters entered a church during a worship service and interrupted the proceedings.
“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, HB363 will send a crystal-clear message that our churches are off limits to radical activists who have no respect for others’ right to worship.”
Minnesota Incident Draws National Attention
In January, protesters affiliated with anti-ICE activism disrupted a worship service at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, after alleging that a church leader had ties to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Videos circulating on social media showed individuals entering the sanctuary, chanting, and confronting congregants during the service, prompting backlash from religious leaders and lawmakers across the country.
The incident led to arrests and a federal investigation, with prosecutors alleging violations of worshippers’ civil rights. The case sparked a broader national debate over the limits of protest activity, First Amendment protections, and whether places of worship should be treated differently under the law.
Barnes referenced that debate when explaining his proposed legislation, emphasizing what he described as the need to protect families and children in religious settings.
“No one has the right to disrupt a church service and infringe on their fellow citizens’ right to worship freely,” Barnes said. “In Alabama, we are not going to sit by and allow crazy people to intimidate our women and children in our churches. We simply will not tolerate it.”
What HB363 Would Do
Under HB363, it would be 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 actions such as unlawful protest activity, riot, disorderly conduct, harassment of worshippers, or obstruction of entry or exit.
The bill does not prohibit peaceful protest generally but focuses on conduct that occurs during worship services and that lawmakers argue interferes with the constitutional right to religious freedom.
HB363 has received significant legislative backing, with more than 50 cosponsors, and has been assigned to the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee for further consideration.
If passed and signed into law, the bill would expand Alabama’s criminal statutes related to conduct at religious institutions, elevating certain offenses to felony status and imposing stricter penalties for intentional disruptions of worship services.
As the bill moves forward, it is expected to generate debate among lawmakers, civil liberties advocates, and faith leaders over how best to balance the right to protest with the right to worship without interference.