South Dakota is taking action to protect houses of worship from violent threats and intimidation. Gov. Larry Rhoden announced the Legislature is considering SB 113, a bill that would increase the penalties against those who disrupt religious services or in any way prevent people from peacefully practicing their faith.
“In recent days, religious freedom came under assault just a few hundred miles from here in the Twin Cities,” said Gov. Rhoden, referencing the incident at a Minnesota church.
“That should trouble every single American. It certainly troubled me,” he added. ”So I quickly worked with legislative leadership to announce a plan to fix it. If someone decides to target a house of worship, there will be real consequences.”
Disrupting religious worship is already a crime in South Dakota, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year of time in county jail and a $2,000 fine. The bill would make it a felony and allow a judge to decide whether the person goes to state prison for two years, along with a $4,000 fine.
“Our Constitution recognizes that if religious liberty falls, every other liberty eventually falls with it,” the governor emphasized. “We will continue to be a state that doesn’t just talk about freedom – we take action when freedom is threatened.”
Animosity toward houses of worship have been rising for several years. In its annual “Hostility Against Churches” report, Family Research Council identified 415 hostile acts against churches in 2024. This is more than double the number in 2022, now averaging 35 attacks per month.
The report identified “420 incidents that took place between January 2018 and September 2022, showing a steady increase over those five years.” In 2023, attacks reached an all-time high of 485. Vandalism and arson are listed as the most common.
What’s most alarming is these findings may not represent the full scope, as many cases may not be reported to law enforcement or the media.
As Gov. Rhoden correctly points out, America is founded on religious freedom. Terrorizing houses of worship and religious communities betrays our founding principles.
