BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY)– Attorney General Jeff Landry is now weighing in on the Mayor of New Orleans’ letter requesting that Christian singer Lauren Daigle be removed from the national New Year’s Eve television program.
In a statement sent from his office Monday, Landry voiced his support for the Grammy winner and Lafayette native who has received backlash for her participation in a Christian “pop-up” rally in the French Quarter on Nov. 7.
In a letter to Daigle, Landry claimed he was “shocked and dismayed” over Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s call to have Daigle removed from the New Orleans ‘New Year’s Rockin Eve’ Celebration.
“The Louisiana Legislature reinforced the rights of individuals to worship freely by adopting the Preservation of Religious Freedom Act. See La. Rev. Stat. 13:5232 (‘Free exercise of religion is a fundamental right of the highest order in this state.’). State and federal law protect your right to assemble in a public square to worship and protest. United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch has recently explained that the ‘Government is not free to disregard the First Amendment in times of crisis. Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo. Additionally, you are entitled to protection from tortious interference with your private contractual relationships,’” wrote Landry.
In his statement Monday, Landry said he “vowed to protect Daigle’s rights to protest and worship” and offered his assistance to “work with more hospitable regions in our State, like your home parish of Lafayette, if you and Dick Clark Productions wish to move the event.”