The Family Foundation
Victoria Cobb, President
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
This week Governor Youngkin signed HB 2171 (R-Williams), an important bill to ensure that places of worship are able to remain open as an essential entity during a declared state of emergency.
HB 2171 prohibits executive action from treating churches more restrictively than any other business, organization, or activity (such as ABC stores!) during times of emergency, as former Governor Ralph Northam did during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is a victory for limited government, which should provide greater protection from future arbitrary and discriminatory mandates merely at the stroke of an individual's pen, instead of through a democratic process. We saw the need for such protection during the COVID pandemic when the fellowship and encouragement of the churches was needed the most, but government officials acted rashly and unconstitutionally.
We must never allow government officials to abuse their emergency powers to discriminate against Americans of faith. We commend Governor Youngkin and the General Assembly for recognizing that government power is not absolute, under any circumstance.
If you would like to hear more about bills related to religious freedom and other critical issues during the 2023 General Assembly session, come hear Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears on April 4 in Richmond, along with special keynote speaker, former Kansas Governor, former U.S. Senator, and Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback.
The Family Foundation Richmond Reception
U.S. Ambassador Sam Brownback
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears
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