A Mississippi mayor has canceled fines to churchgoers as the Department of Justice intervenes in a coronavirus dispute.
The Justice Department filed a statement of interest supporting a Greenville, Mississippi, church where some people recently received $500 tickets at a drive-in style service. They listened to the sermon on their car radios with their windows rolled up.
Attorney General William Barr emphasized in the statement that social distancing practices are important during the health crisis and that while some temporary restrictions on liberties are constitutional when applied even-handedly, but religious institutions cannot be singled-out.
Barr wrote, “The City of Greenville fined congregants $500 per person for attending these parking lot services – while permitting citizens to attend nearby drive-in restaurants, even with their windows open. The City appears to have thereby singled churches out as the only essential service (as designated by the state of Mississippi) that may not operate despite following all [Centers for Disease Control] and state recommendations regarding social distancing.”
The statement prompted Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons to cancel the fines.
The religious liberty controversy comes as restrictions are placed on activities across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The mayor also said that the order will remain in place, though he wants “definitive guidance on drive-in and parking lot services” from the state’s governor.