California's COVID-related church restrictions will be up for debate this week after the U.S. Supreme Court kicked a lawsuit by Pasadena’s Harvest Rock Church down to the state's lower courts.
The Supreme Court requested the California parties to reconsider the matter taking into account the Court's recent decision declaring New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's ban on church gatherings unconstitutional.
Attorney Matthew Staver of the Liberty Counsel argued that SCOTUS' ruling in favor of religious organizations in New York will be a roadmap for determining future cases, particularly the one in California.
"When we follow that roadmap the inevitable destination is clear," he said. "These restrictions violate the First Amendment."
The case is set to be heard in a lower court this week, which could potentially be a watershed moment for religious groups across the country challenging state restrictions on religious gatherings.
Staver argued that California's restrictions are more pernicious than New York, as 99% of Californians live in state-designated purple zones; i.e., COVID-19 hotspots, a report posted on the Cal Matters website said.
The issue of whether church restrictions are constitutional has been hotly debated since the spring, when the first round of lockdowns began. Democratic lawmakers in particular have been challenged by religious groups over lockdown measures. Harvest Rock Church is no exception.
As the week continues, religious leaders and their legal representatives will be watching California's lower court ruling carefully, having already had a major victory in New York and the possibility of victory in California as well.
"At the end of the day, irrespective of what the lower court does tomorrow, we'll make sure this decision from the Supreme Court is expeditiously enforced and that these restrictions in California are enjoined by a federal court," Staver said.
As a whole, the issue of constitutionality and emergency restrictions is quite complicated — large swaths of faith-centered Americans feel as if their rights are being trampled upon; while lawmakers are concerned religious gatherings will only exacerbate the spread of the coronavirus, leading to further deaths.
While Staver is confident that SCOTUS' previous ruling on the issue will result in a win for religious groups, there is also the possibility of the lower court ruling against the precedent set by the highest court in the land.