Senate committee rejects bill to elevate penalties for disruptions inside houses of worship

Senate Bill 10 70, introduced by Senator Grove, would have made intentional, coordinated disruptions of worship services a "wobbler" offense, enabling prosecutors and courts to charge serious incidents as felonies in place of misdemeanors.

Supporters — including Milton Matczak (a retired deputy district attorney) and faith leaders who described repeated disruptions in churches and synagogues — said the change would give courts discretion to punish egregious conduct and deter repeated, coordinated attacks on worshippers. Matczak told the committee amending Penal Code section 302 to a wobbler would "put more teeth" behind protections for First Amendment freedoms to worship.

Opponents framed the proposal as overbroad and potentially punitive. The Friends Committee on Legislation (Quakers) said felony-level penalties risked long-term collateral consequences and argued restorative justice might better serve many offenders. The ACLU and multiple public-defender groups said the underlying statute is content-based and vulnerable to constitutional challenge; committee conversation repeatedly raised concerns that elevating penalties could make the statute more susceptible to vagueness and First Amendment issues.

Several senators voiced sympathy for protecting houses of worship but also flagged the risk of turning nonviolent expression or rude speech into felony-level offenses. After debate the committee voted and the motion to pass the bill did not carry, and SB 10 70 failed in committee. Members noted they remain open to narrowly tailored legislative fixes to protect congregants while avoiding constitutional infirmities.