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Kansas Supreme Court says executive order banning religious service of more than 10 people stands Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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I HAVE THAT STORM TIMELINE WITH FUTURESCAN COMING UP. EMILY: BREAKING NEWS TONIGHT. THE KANSAS SUPREME COURT RULED IN FAVOR OF GOVERNOR KELLY’S LAWSUIT AGAINST LEGISLATIVE LEADERS. JUSTICES SAID LAWMAKERS DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO REVOKE THE LAWMAKER’ IS ORDER TO LIMIT CHURCH GATHERINGS TO 10 PEOPLE OR LESS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. MORE ON THAT IN JUST A MOMENT. TONIGHT, HUNDREDS OF CHURCHES ARE PREPARING TO HOLD EASTER SERVICES ONLINE. BIANCA BELTRAN SPOKE TO A LOCAL CHURCH NAVIGATING THIS NEW WAY OF WORSHIP. >> I’VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH AS A PASTOR, I KNOW WHERE PEOPLE SIT, SO WHEN I WALK BY THE PEW I KNOW WHO WOULD BE SITTING THERE ON SUNDAY MORNING, AND I PRAY FOR THOSE PEOPLE AS I WALKED BY. BIANCA: THIS WEEKEND, ASBURY CHURCH MUCH QUIETER AS KANSANS OR ORDER TO STAY HOME TO PREVENT SPREAD OF COVID-19. >> TYPICALLY SATURDAY WE WOULD HAVE AN EASTER EGG HUNT, THEN WE ' ’D DECORATE THE SANCTUARY OF EASTER LILIES, SO INDEED IT IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES WE LOOK FORWARD TO AND PLAN FOR, AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT THIS -- DIFFERENT THIS YEAR NOT DOING THAT. BIANCA: THROUGHOUT HOLY WEEK, SERVICES MOVED ONLINE. IT HAS TAKEN WORK TO PRODUCE A SERMON PEOPLE CAN ENJOY FROM HOME, BUT THEY SAY IT IS HOW THEY KEEP FAITH WHILE KEEPING SAFE. >> WE CARE ABOUT ARE PEOPLE TOO MUCH TO ASK THEM TO COME HERE AND GATHER FOR WORSHIP. BIANCA: OTHERS SAY PARISHIONERS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GATHER, TAKING THE MATTER TO COURT. >> I DON’T BELIEVE OUR LEADERS WHO WOULD SUGGEST WE HAVE TO BE IN THE SANCTUARY TO EXPERIENCE GOD? I THINK THAT IS DISRESPECTFUL, I THINK THAT IS NOT SAFE, AND IT DENIES THE POWER AND PURPOSE OF GOD. BIANCA: THESE CIRCUMSTANCES SERVE AS A REMINDER THAT A CHURCH IS NOT SIMPLY A BUILDING. BIANCA BELTRAN, KMBC 9 NEWS. EMILY: BECAUSE THE STAY AT HOME ORDER LIMITS GATHERINGS TO UNDER 10 PEOPLE, THE CHURCH WILL NOT HAVE A CHORUS TO SING HALLELUJAH, WHICH IS THE TRADITION FOR THEIR SERVICE, SO THEY WILL USE LAST YEAR’S RECORDING IN THE LIVESTREAM. WE INVITED LOCAL CHURCHES TO SHARE LINKS TO THEIR EASTER STREAMING SERVICES ON OUR WEBSITE. YOU CAN FIND THOSE RIGHT NOW ON KMBC.COM. BACK TO TODAY’S HEARING. THE KANSAS SUPREME COURT BEGAN THE DAY WITH A RARE WEEKEND HEARING BY VIACOM FOR. BRIAN JOHNSON BRINGS US BOTH SIDES OF THE HOUR-LONG ARGUMENT -- HOURS LONG ARGUMENTS THAT LED TO TONIGH’S DECISION. >> YOU ARE OUT OF TIME BUT I WANT TO LET YOU GO WITHOUT ASKING ABOUT THE RELIGIOUS LIBERTY DIMENSIONS OF THE CASE. BRIAN: CONCERNS ABOUT RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IS WHY SOME STATE LAWMAKERS OVERTURNED THE GOVERNOR’S COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS. DURING ARGUMENTS ON SATURDAY, LITTLE WAS SAID ABOUT RELIGION, FOCUSING INSTEAD ON STATE LAW AND PROCEDURES. >> THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF RESOLVING CASES, AND WE DON’T MAKE PUBLIC POLICY. BRIAN: AT ISSUE ISLEGISLATIVE WORDING, WHICH LAWMAKERS MIGHT FIX BY RECONVENING AND VOTING. >> IN AN EMERGENCY DISASTER WHERE THE LEGISLATURE’S ABILITY TO RECONVENE AND ACT IN A BROADER SENSE IS SEVERELY LIMITED. BRIAN: STATE LAWMAKERS’ ATTORNEYS ARGUE THE GOVERNOR’S RESOLUTION SHOULD BE DEEMED INVALID, AND THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS EXPIRE. >> DOES THE LEGISLATURE GET TO KEEP THE OVERSIGHT THAT IT TRIED TO GIVE ITSELF HERE? BRIAN: THE GOVERNOR’S ATTORNEY SAYS NO STATE LAW GIVES THE LEGISLATIVE COORDINATING COUNCIL THE ABILITY TO OVERRULE THE GOVERNOR DURING AN EMERGENCY DECLARATION. >> THE LAW IS THE LAW. IT CAN WORK PERFECTLY FINE IN THIS SITUATION. KELLY’S ATTORNEY ARGUES SINCE LAWMAKERS AREN’T A RELIGIOUS BODY, THEY HAVE NO CASE TO BRING. >> THIS IS A TIME OF UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS AND DANGER. LIVES ARE ON THE LINE. CLEARLY EVERY DAY COUNTS. EVERY MINUTE COUNTS. BRIAN: BRIAN JOHNSON KMBC 9 , NEWS. EMILY: INSTEAD OF STATE LAWMAKERS, IT’S POSSIBLE A RELIGIOUS GROUP COULD BRING A CASE TO THE SUPREME COURT SHOWING DAMAGES. IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN, THE COURT WOULD BE FORCED TO HEAR THEIR ARGUMENTS. IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, BOTH STATE LAWMAKERS AND GOVERNOR KELLY AGREE THAT WORSHIPERS SHOULD STAY HOME AND WATCH ONLINE SERVICES. THEY JUST DISAGREE ON THE STATE’S CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORI TO ORDER IT. GOVERNOR KELLY CITES THREE EXAMPLES OF RELIGIOUS GATHERINGS STARTING COVID-19 OUTBREAKS IN KANSAS. NEW TONIGHT, JACKSON COUNTY SHERIFF DARRYL FORTE REPORTS A NON-INMATE AT THE DETENTION CENTER HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 HE SAYS THE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH HEALTH OFFICIALS TO IDENTIFY WHO HAD CLOSE CONTACT WITH THAT PERSON. THE CASS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS REPORTING THAT ANOTHER RESIDENT OF MEADOW VIEW HEALTH & REHABILITATION IN HARRISONVILLE HAS DIED FROM COVID-19, AND ONE MORE EMPLOYEE HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS. THAT’S TWO DEATHS NOW AT THE CENTER. SIX OTHER RESIDENTS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE. THEY ARE STILL IN SELF-ISOLATION. AS OF TODAY, THERE ARE NEARLY -- OVER CASES OF CORONAVIRUS IN 4000 MISSOURI. THE RED LINE ON THIS CHART SHOWS YOU HOW THE MISSOURI NUMBERS HAVE GROWN OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS. KANSAS CASES ARE SHOWN IN THE GOLD LINE. KANSAS REACHED 1,268 TODAY. WE ARE HOPING FOR THE NUMBER OF NEW CASES TO LEVEL OFF. TODAY, THERE WERE 225 NEWLY REPORTED CASES OF COVID-19 IN MISSOURI. YOU CAN SEE HOW THE DAILY CASES HAVE STEADILY DROPPED OVER THE PAST WEEK. KANSAS REPORTED 102 NEW CASES TODAY, MAKING TODAY THE SECOND -HIGHEST NUMBER OF NEW CASES REPORTED THIS WEEK. THE NUMBER OF CORONAVIRUS CASES AROUND THE WORLD HAS TOPPED MORE THAN 1.7 5 MILLION. NEW YORK’S GOVERNOR SAYS HIS STATE MAY BE FLATTENING THE CURVE AFTER WEEKS OF SOCIAL DISTANCING. ABC’S ANDREW DYMBURT REPORTS OTHER STATES ARE PREPARING FOR A , POSSIBLE SURGE IN CASES. ANDREW: MORE THAN MILLION CASES HALF A OF CORONAVIRUS NOW CONFIRMED IN THE U.S., AND THAT NUMBER STILL GROWING. WITH MORE THAN 8,600 DEATHS IN NEW YORK CITY ALONE, THE PANDEMIC TAKING ITS TOLL ON FIRST RESPONDERS. >> IT’S WEIGHING ON ME. ANDREW: BUT NEW YORK STATE MAY BE SEEING THE CURVE BEGIN TO FLATTEN AFTER WEEKS OF SOCIAL DISTANCING AND STAY AT HOME ORDERS. >> THE NUMBER OF HOSPITALIZATIONS APPEARS TO HAVE HIT AN APEX, AND THE APEX APPEARS TO BE A PLATEAU. ANDREW: BUT NEW YORK GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO WITH THIS WARNING. >> THE WORST THING THAT CAN HAPPEN IS WE MAKE A MISSTEP AND WE LET OUR EMOTIONS GET AHEAD OUR LOGIC AND FACT, AND WE GO THROUGH THIS AGAIN IN AN MANNER, SHAPE OR FORM. ANDREW: PRESIDENT TRUMP NOW LOOKING TO CREATE A TASK FORCE FOCUSED ON REOPENING THE COUNTRY >> IT IS THE BIGGEST DECISION I WILL EVER MAKE. ANDREW: BUT ACCORDING TO A NEW YORK TIMES REPORT, NEW FEDERAL PROJECTIONS WARN OF A SPIKE IN CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS IF SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDERS WE LIFTED AFTER ONLY 30 DAYS, A SECOND WAVE LIKELY SPIKING IN MADE -- MIDSUMMER. >> I WOULD HOPE THAT BY NOVEMBER WE WOULD HAVE THINGS UNDER SUCH CONTROL THAT WE COULD HAVE A REAL DEGREE OF NORMALITY. EMILY: YOU CAN GET THE LATEST ON THE CORONAVIRUS IMPACTING IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WITH OUR NEW CORONAVIRUS NEWSLETTER. UPDATES WILL GO STRAIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL. JUST GO TO KMBC.COM TO SIGN UP TONIGHT A SURPRISE CELEBRATION FOR A COUPLE WHO GOT MARRIED TODAY ONLINE. DOZENS OF CARS WENT BUY THE NEWLYWEDS HOME TONIGHT, HONKING THEIR HORNS AND CONGRATULATING THE HAPPY COUPLE. THE COUPLE DECIDED TO EMBRACE THE TIMES, AND HOLD THEIR WEDDING ON THE INTERNET FOR LOVED ONES TO SEE. KMBC 9’S KELEIGH GIBBS TALKED WITH THEM AS THEY PREPARED TO SAY I DO. KELEIGH: FOR CHRIS SMART AND HIS FIANCEE EMILY WEDDING LATER THIS , A MONTH WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN. >> WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT EACH OTHER. [LAUGHTER] AS FAR AS DEALING WITH THE CRISIS. I AM SO GRATEFUL DO NOT HAVE A BRIDEZILLA. KELEIGH: AFTER THE STAY AT HOME ORDER, THE PLANS CHANGED. THE COUPLE HAD TO GET THEIR MARRIAGE LICENSE EARLY AND MOVED THEIR WEDDING TO THIS WEEKEND. >> WE WERE GOING TO GET MARRIED IN OUR LIVING ROOM ANYWAY, SO WE THOUGHT WE’LL JUST MAKE IT SUPER TINY. KELEIGH: THEIR NUPTIALS, TAKING PLACE IN THEIR LIVING ROOM, IN FRONT OF LOVED ONES ONLINE. >> YOU ARE MY GREATEST JOY AND I SHALL BE THERE FOR YOU NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. >> I THINK THE ONLY OPTION IS TO DO THINGS THAT ARE FULL OF LOVE AND FAMILY. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US, TO JUST HAVE THE EVENT AND CONTINUE WITH LIFE. KELEIGH: IN KANSAS CITY, KEL