Nevada defends cap on church services; sheriff won't enforce

Nevada’s lawyers are defending the governor's 50-person cap on religious gatherings in a legal battle with leaders of a rural church who say it violates their constitutional right to exercise their beliefs.

Nevada's attorney general is urging a federal judge in Reno to deny an order sought by leaders of Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley.

Church leaders say the hard cap violates their religious freedom, treating them differently than many Nevada businesses allowed to reopen at 50% of capacity. A hearing is set Tuesday on their request for a temporary injunction suspending the cap after a judge denied their bid last week for an emergency order.

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