Democrat Governors Start To Reopen Bars And Casinos While Limiting Church Services

By Tristan Justice - Posted at The Federalist:

Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz announced plans for a “phased” reopening Wednesday that allows restaurants, bars, salons, and tattoo parlors to reopen, plus a wide array of other businesses. Of the few institutions that must remain closed however, are churches.

According to the governor’s order, places that reopen must operate with mandatory social distancing measures, with restaurants capped at 50 patrons spaced at least six feet apart. Churches, on the other hand, are still prohibited from holding congregations of more than 10. Nearly identical guidelines were issued by North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper before a federal judge struck down the executive order as discriminatory.

“The record, at this admittedly early stage of the case, reveals that the Governor appears to trust citizens to perform non-religious activities indoors (such as shopping or walking or selling merchandise) but does not trust them to do the same when they worship together indoors,” Judge James C. Dever wrote.

A similar story is playing out in California, where the state’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled plans for reopening that notably excludes places of worship while paving the way for secular businesses to restart operations. The governor’s proposal provoked a letter from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Decision urging Newsom to reconsider.

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