(The Center Square) − Legislation that would expand Louisiana’s “disturbing the peace” statute to cover disruptions of church services has been filed ahead of the 2026 session that begins in March.
The two bills follow a high-profile protest that interrupted worship services at a Minnesota church on Jan. 18, resulting in the federal arrests of nine people.
House Bill 68 would add “interruption of any worship service or religious ceremony at a church or other place of worship” to the list of conduct that can qualify as disturbing the peace. The bill was introduced by Rep. Laurie Schlegel, R-New Orleans.
Under the bill, a violation would be punishable by a fine of up to $500 and up to six months in jail, with 15 days of any sentence served without probation or suspension.
House Bill 60, filed by Rep. Brian Glorioso, R-Slidell, authorizes felony-level punishment: up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, and up to 10 years and $10,000 if a dangerous weapon is used or serious bodily injury is inflicted.
Penalties would increase if the disturbance is carried out by multiple people acting together. The same penalties would apply to individuals who conspire to disrupt a service, even if they are not the ones who physically cause the disruption.
The legislation comes weeks after protesters disrupted a Sunday service at Cities Church in St. Paul, where they said one of the church’s pastors serves as a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official. Video posted online shows protesters chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good” during the service, referring to the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman on Jan. 7.
U.S. Department of Justice officials have said they are investigating the demonstration as a potential civil rights matter. Harmeet Dhillon, a civil rights Justice Department official, described the episode as an attack on the right to worship and said federal authorities were treating it as a high-priority case.
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who livestreamed from the scene, was among those arrested and charged in federal court. Lemon has said he was acting as a journalist and has pledged to fight the case.
