Don’t let government trample first amendment

The City of Chicago fines and threatens to demolish churches that hold services; a federal appeals court upholds California’s ban on in-person church services; a pastor in Florida is arrested for holding services in defiance of a “safer-at-home” order. In the last few weeks, we have seen how quickly and completely governments can infringe upon the religious freedoms of Americans.

The virus has taught us many things. I’ve already touched on the importance of making medical devices and medications in the U.S. instead of relying on foreign countries. This is not only important for public health and safety, it will also help create American jobs.

Another key lesson we’ve learned is the importance of safeguarding our rights in the face of disaster. We cannot stand by and let governments use a crisis as a pretext to trample on our first amendment, which states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Government should never be allowed to close a church, especially when some businesses remain open.

Could this happen in Missouri? I know our governor has tried very hard to find the right balance when life and religious liberty is at stake. But we might not always have a governor who is committed to protecting religious liberty as an essential part of our life. So yes, this could happen here.

Congregations have the best interest of their members and community at heart, and the Constitutional right to determine their own status. But as the last few weeks have shown us, our rights can be quickly eroded unless we are vigilant and willing to speak up whenever and wherever our rights are threatened.

Despite the fact the General Assembly missed several weeks of the legislative session due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers were able to give final approval to numerous bills that will help Missouri families and businesses. While much of the attention has been on high profile issues such as the state budget, workforce development efforts, and protections for victims of sexual assault, the legislature was able to secure passage for several other substantive reforms.

Some of the other issues addressed by the General Assembly this year include:

During the 2020 legislative session, lawmakers took action to help Missourians save money for the care their loved ones will need later in life. The bill establishes the Long-Term Care Dignity Act, which will allow an individual to open a long-term care savings account to be used to pay a qualified beneficiary’s eligible long-term care expenses. The bill creates a 100% income tax deduction for contributions to the account up to $8,000 for an individual or $16,000 for married individuals filing jointly.

Missourians will soon be able to provide relevant medical information on their state-issued IDs that will allow law enforcement and first responders to provide better medical treatment. The bill approved by the General Assembly allows for medical alert notations to be placed on driver’s licenses and non-driver’s identification cards for posttraumatic stress disorder, diabetes, heart conditions, epilepsy, drug allergies, Alzheimer’s or dementia, schizophrenia, autism, or other conditions as approved by the Department of Revenue. The bill specifies that no medical alert information will be printed on or removed from a license or identification card without the express consent of the licensee, or parent or guardian.

Billington represents District 152, which includes parts of Butler and Dunklin counties.