Bill would bar governors from emergency closures, mandates on places of worship

By: Robin Opsahl

Outlets: Iowa Capital Dispatch

Published: February 12, 2026

Words: 449

Last Updated: 2 weeks, 6 days ago

Body Text Preview

The Iowa governor could not order closures of places of worship or mandate their locations or practices, even during emergencies or public health disasters, under a bill moved forward Thursday by an Iowa House subcommittee.

House File 2145 comes years after the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a State of Public Health Disaster Emergency executive order which included a prohibition on “social, community, spiritual, religious, recreational, leisure, and sporting gatherings …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us