State stripper registry

5/16/2016 11:08:49 AM

Was hanging out with my brother over the weekend and he was telling me about a conversation he was having with a friend of his that is a state representative (don't ask me his name, he wouldn't tell me but I believe him). From what he was telling me is that there is an informal committee the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is looking into creating a database to register and license ALL individuals (dancers & strip club workers, massage parlor workers, etc. within the state to help "curtail" prostitution and drug issues. Licensing would involve periodic drug and STD testing, and would be required to work at any strip club, massage parlor, or any other place where "nudity may be involved for entertainment purposes", and be required for each location an individual may work, no matter how infrequent. Of coarse, there would be licensing fees involved, and would periodically require renewal. Besides "curtailing" prostitution and drug issues (yeah, right, like that would really help), it would also help LE find individuals that they may be seeking, prevent underage employment, and assist the state IRS in proper assessment of taxes. Any individuals in violation would be assessed a hefty penalty (fine and possibility of incarceration), and the establishment would also be responsible. He also said that the "sub-contractor" loophole that many dancers now work under will go away and they will have to become regular employees of the establishment to make enforcement easier.

Now, knowing my brother, he may have blown the whole thing out of proportion, but if any part of this is true, it could be a major pain in the ass. Not only is it going to hamper or even prevent some dancers from working (or starting as that i'm sure its not going to be an instant thing and we all know how many of these girls need cash now), but it will give LE agencies another opportunity to just stop by to take a look. I know several clubs where ownership doesn't even really know the real names of some of the dancers, and if they have to be registered for each club (and of coarse pay for each), how many dancers are just going to leave and dance in other states where it is not a tough. And, if owners now have to actually hire the dancers as regular employees, then they will be required by law to provide health care or pay the Obama Care fines, which for many may be the difference between staying open and closing (or changing the business).

Was wondering if anyone else has heard anything about this, or if any other states have anything similar?

14 comments

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shailynn

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9 years ago

That sounds typical of Pennsylvania.

I could certainly see a bill like this hitting the floor, and it would gain momentum because they would say it's protecting "sex trafficking" issues, but I'm not sure how the public would react. Would they bitch that their tax dollars could be better used? PA is a pretty liberal state of that influences any certain outcome.

The state of PA watches people pretty closely. I saw a guy get dragged out of a casino by state troopers once. He simply used his players card at the casino and it alerted the state police that he had an existing warrant for his arrest. I have never seen that anywhere else before - but I'm sure it happens in other states too.

londonguy

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9 years ago

It's funny how in the West they use 'sex trafficking control' as a way to oppress our freedoms as grown and consenting adults.

san_jose_guy

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9 years ago

We have a county wide stripper registry. And they have to notify police each time they move from one club to another. And this causes problems when maybe they are just doing a couple of fill in shifts. And of course the girls don't like this, knowing that the cops will have this info about them each time there is contact.

And then since our county is often getting girls who want the softer core environment, no touching, as opposed to San Francisco, this registration requirement often scares them off. They see themselves as just short time workers, adventure seekers, not serious sex pros.

And then for massage we have the state licensing law. And so the girls could be at risk of license loss if they get busted.

NO GOOD!

UN CONTSTITUTIONAL, as people have broken no law, you should not be able impose such before the fact regulations just to harass them.

With massage places some shops just call it, Relaxation, which means hot towel wrap. So on redbook they talked about RA's, Relaxation Assistants.

But many cities won't license relaxation shops because they know the RA's are not licensed, and so they know what probably will be going on..

With strippers, I think people need to find some way around it, like Adult Entertainment / Lingerie Modelling.

Other way is private clubs, hence there is no business license or licensing or regulation of workers. But to do it in retail building I guess there still has to be some license, but it does not qualify as a public retail place.

SJG

Suing Dictators Around the World
http://www.democracynow.org/2016/5/12/su…

JamesSD

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9 years ago

The city of San Diego requires an adult entertainment permit to strip. It's a few hundred dollars a year. It makes amateur night impossible and probably both keeps some girls our of the business and makes it easier for those at the end of their career to make a clean break. It also probably reduces the number of girls who travel dance.

The specific bill you're talking about sounds a bit overreaching and parts are possibly not defensible in court, assuming someone had the money to challenge it.

MrBater2010

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9 years ago

This just reminds me of the standard Republican statement "We are trying to protect the women."

Then the Gun Laws. "Take the legal guns and only the illegal owners (Bad Guys) will have them."

Got to admit, The guy with the keys to the database could have one hell of a black bock.

mjx01

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9 years ago

I've heard similar rumors about something along those lines brewing in Harrisburg. The first time this guy tried it, it seemed to settle down after he got his publicity blitz out of it. Had not heard that this fire was burning again recently.

mjx01

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9 years ago

A quick search did not find anything new since the original 2015 PR release:
http://www.pennlive.com/politics/index.s…

impala

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9 years ago

Like I said, he was told it was in an informal committee meaning there would be no record of it, only once reached a regular committee is there a record. Pennsylvania is the typical Big Brother state, and if they can pry into your life just a little deeper "they can save you from yourself"!

mmdv26

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9 years ago

Register strippers and get them vaccinated like pets, reduce operating hours of clubs, keep more clothes on and less contact with customers. It's like shooting fish in a barrel for legislators.

dw.buck

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9 years ago

more of big brother govt shitting on the poor class. instead of finding ways to help uplift they (republicans) find ways to keep the lower classes down

impala

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9 years ago

dw. buck, I did some research and a actually a similar bill was put through last year by the demarcates in the state house and it was defeated by the republican majority, so don't blame the republicans, or at least the ones in my state. I don't want to get into a political party discussion, or at least in this forum. But as they say, the best government is one that does nothing.

Anyways, after talking to several people that are involved with state government, it seams to be that the big push for this is not from the legislates, but from the state police and local police departments. Also, from what i was told, they were actually behind the bill the was put forth last year also. Officially they says it is to prevent sex trafficking and drug issues, but unofficially it is so that they can have unfettered access to establishment where "less than undesirables" frequent. I personally think that all it is going to is cause a lot of clubs to be harassed and a lot of crooked cops to get rich from pay-offs.

vincemichaels

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9 years ago

How about registering all TUSCL members too, while they are at it. SHEEEESHH !!

impala

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9 years ago

Really, when it comes down to it, it's all about money. The state is looking at making money through either fees or by fines. LE is looking at making money through fines, extra funding through taxes for enforcement, or in some cases from pay-offs. Club owners I'm sure are looking at is as having to pay the state more so they will have to raise their prices. The dancers are going to have to pay to get listened be making the same as before so their either going to have to work more, or expect more money from the customers. And when it comes down to it, we as the customer are going to be the one that ends up paying for this.

dw.buck

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9 years ago

impala your right about it being the government. but i wasnt only using that as an example. all the wire tapping and other programs like the welfare, prison, policing etc... hurts the lower class than helps the lower class.

and yup we all do end up paying for this in one way or another

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