The Alabama House of Representatives debated for almost three hours on the merits of a bill that the sponsor said would give legal protection for somebody who uses force to defend himself or others in a church.
The debate ended with lawmakers voting 40-16 to approve the bill, sending it to the Senate.
It says Alabama’s “stand your ground” law applies when using force to defend church members, employees and volunteers from death, serious injury, robbery and other crimes.
Rep. Lynn Greer, R-Rogersville, said his bill was a commonsense measure to allow church members to protect each other.
“If you’ve got some nut who walks in a side door and starts shooting, somebody needs to shoot back,” Greer said.
Democrats who took turns arguing against the bill said it was misguided or unnecessary.
Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, said a person who uses justifiable force in a church is already protected by the “stand your ground” law. He called the bill “pandering.”
“The idea in Alabama that you would need a law that would create protection for you to be able to use deadly force to protect yourself in a church is a farce,” England said.
Under the stand your ground law, a person who uses physical force, including deadly force, can gain immunity from prosecution for those actions if a court finds they were justified.