discussion comment
3 years ago
"1 foot on the ground during dances" -blah
I smiled reading this; 12 years ago Missouri passed revised Sexually Oriented Business regulations later unanimously upheld by state supreme court to be constitutional. So some of the regs sound familiar and no they often have no reasonable basis other than make it increasingly difficult for strip clubs to operate profitably.
"These are almost ALWAYS the result of people or legislatures who want to kill strip clubs" -herbtcat. He got it absolutely right. And here in the heart of America these efforts are entirely the doing of socially conservative Republicans.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. A Show-Me State lawmaker wants a sin tax on those who show too much. First, Missouri banished sexy billboards and young strip dancers. Now, Republican Sen. Matt Bartle wants to force adult entertainment businesses out of the state by stripping them of their profits. Legislation pending in the Senate would impose a 20 percent tax on revenues of all sexually oriented businesses, charge a $5 fee for each person entering their doors and prohibit them from staying open late at night.
***The goal of the bill is to make Missouri inhospitable for these businesses, said Bartle.***
[John] Putnam’s group, called Citizens for a Decent Environment, started researching laws on sexually oriented businesses that had withstood court challenges. The group contacted attorney Scott Bergthold, who had drafted some of the legislation. “It took us three years from the time we got the language to get the Legislature to act on it,” said Putnam. He and other residents testified in favor of the proposal in House and Senate hearings. The measure that was enacted was sponsored by Sen. Matt Bartle, Lee’s Summit, [from Joplinglobe.com 11/16/2011]
Here are some of the state regs which by law supercede any county or local regulations unless tose are even more restrictive. So much for the phony local control bullshit.
* No person shall knowingly or intentionally, in a sexually oriented business, appear in a state of nudity. Yes Virginia, in Missouri it IS possible to ban nudity despite the First Amendment.
* No employee shall knowingly or intentionally, in a sexually oriented business, appear in a semi-nude condition unless the employee, while semi-nude, shall be and remain on a fixed stage at least six feet from all patrons and at least eighteen inches from the floor in a room of at least six hundred square feet.
* No employee, who appears in a semi-nude condition in a sexually oriented business, shall knowingly or intentionally touch a patron or the clothing of a patron in a sexually oriented business.
* "Nudity" or "state of nudity", the showing of the human male or female genitals, pubic area, vulva, anus, anal cleft, or cleavage with less than a fully opaque covering, or the showing of the female breast with less than a fully opaque covering of any part of the nipple or areola;
*"Semi-nude" or "state of semi-nudity", the showing of the female breast below a horizontal line across the top of the areola and extending across the width of the breast at such point, or the showing of the male or female buttocks. Such definition includes the lower portion of the human female breast, but shall not include any portion of the cleavage of the female breasts exhibited by a bikini, dress, blouse, shirt, leotard, or similar wearing apparel provided the areola is not exposed in whole or in part;
*"Specified anatomical areas":
(a) Less than completely and opaquely covered: human genitals, pubic region, buttock, and female breast below a point immediately above the top of the areola; and,
(b) Human male genitals in a discernibly turgid state, even if completely and opaquely covered;
* "Specified sexual activity", any of the following:
(a) Intercourse, oral copulation, masturbation, or sodomy; or
(b) Excretory functions as a part of or in connection with any of the activities described in paragraph (a) of this subdivision
These regs are so complex as to not be easily enforceable; the point is to provide a number of avenues for LE, etc to harass clubs & employees so as make it more difficult to operate a profitable business smoothly.