Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
I'm dumbstruck. I fully expected proposed legislation restricting strip clubs in Missouri to pass before the end of the state legislature's session, which ended Friday. If the original form of that proposal had passed, the restrictions would have taken effect on Aug. 28, as is the standard set by the state constitution for new laws. Instead, something worse has happened.
On the last day of the session, a tax attached to this adult entertainment bill was removed and the remaining provisions, including the SC restrictions which include a 10-foot rule and a total ban on nudity and on accepting tips while semi-nude, were rolled into a broader anti-crime bill. That bill passed and was sent to the governor who is sure to sign it into law. And here's the kicker, the new consolidated bill, unlike the original one, has an emergency clause in it that will make it effective as soon as the governor signs the bill into law, which could be... oh, any second now, considering the urgency of some of the other criminal provisions in the bill.
For all practical purposes, these restrictions will kill the current business model of the clubs. The bill's sponsor made it no secret that's what he had in mind. There's bound to be a court challenge, of course, and it's possible a temporary injunction will be issued that will delay enforcement of the new law until a court ruling is obtained. (Don't hold out too much hope for a favorable resolution; the law's based on others where similar provisions stood up.) But the bottom line is that if you're an exotic dancer in Missouri, you may be impacted within a few hours or days, not on Aug. 28 as might have been expected under the terms of the original proposal.
Of course, dancers near a state line have the option of fleeing to a nearby club across the border (welcome to increased competiveness), but those of us in the center of the state are, well, pretty much f***ked. With Republicans having control of both state legislative chambers and the governor's office, I always feared and assumed this legislation would pass, but I had no idea we'd have nearly no time to prepare for the implementation. That twist developed without warning in the final hours of the session.
Relevant links:
http://newstribune.com/articles/2005...0051405004.txt
(Strip clubs are mentioned near the end of the article. Note the look of glee on the bill sponsor's face.)
http://www.house.state.mo.us/bills051/bills/hb972.htm
http://www.house.state.mo.us/bills05...df/HB0972t.pdf
(When I tried it, the links to the bill's full text wouldn't work, but the PDF version of the bill summary did, which is the last link listed above.)
-Ev
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
This won't hold up in court. Why these moral nannies waste taxpayer money on crap like this mystifies me.
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
What's happening in America at the moment - didn't they learn anything from prohibition.
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
This is very similar to laws in Texas and Florida. Nobody pays attention to them there and nobody will pay attention to them here .....Once they close the offending clubs this law was written to effect. This law exists because "they" could not regulate the Billboard/SIgn industry well (or quickly) enough to keep the Church Ladies happy. One way to keep the sexually explicit billboards off I-70 and I-44 is to close the Adult businesses that put them there. Thats what this is REALY about.
This big billboard fued got started in Kansas City over a sign at I-70 and Manchester. KC Passed and ordinance regarding signs and a local Radio station Immediately put up a sign with 30 pairs of huge (slightly covered) Boobs. That pissed Kay Barnes (KC Mayor) off BIG TIME! but it made a good point. Its hard to regulate signs.
Move on over to mid state on I-44 between Springfield and St Robert and the Billboard frenzy got going again. This time its Claire Mcaskill who is disgusted by thesight on those billboards of youthful boobs and long legs which she will never again have. Jealousy
Both these powerful women call thier good buddy John Ashcroft (Ex US Attorney General and current head of the Pentacostal Church). This law is the result.
This law will NOT KILL Strip Clubs in MO. It will send them back to the side roads and word of mouth advertising. Just like it was 15 years ago.
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ_WuLf
This law will NOT KILL Strip Clubs in MO. It will send them back to the side roads and word of mouth advertising. Just like it was 15 years ago.
It bans all nude dancing and limits semi-nude dancing to on-stage only. Lap dances would be entirely illegal. I don't think a private air dance is even possible under this thing, unless it, too, is done on an open stage ten feet away from a customer, which makes it meaningless. No tipping of dancers is allowed. Private rooms are verboten. The club can be shut down if illegal activity is going on within. It would take an undercover cop two seconds to witness, without having to solicit, a violation in this scenario. Exactly how can you design a successful business model around that?
On the other hand, if you mean clubs will go totally underground with a secret knock required to get in, not just remove themselves from highly visible locations, and they will become total brothels because a lesser business model will be just as illegal, then yeah, I wouldn't disagree with that prediction.
-Ev
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
It will affect Nude Juice bars I agree but this means a G-String on Stage and pasties or Latex off stage. Texas and Florida both have distance regulations and dancers seem to find ways to DO lapdances (and much much more) in those states. No tipping can mean clubs may have to use "chips/funny money". And guess what .. ANY CLUB can be SHUT DOWN for allowing Illegal Activity. Thats nothing new. Private rooms would only have to allow for the distance requirement. There is nothing in this Law that dancers and Clubs in other states have not had to deal with and work around.
Trust me. Once those billboards are gone this "Law" will be forgotten (just as it has in TX and FLA) until some Cop wants his Knob Schlobbed. Theres the real winner. Yeah I agree That SUX.
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
Welcome to Misery. I actually got arrested for public masturbation in Missouri. (I touched my silhouette while dancing) I asked the cops if I could call my Mom ASAP to give her the good news. Asked them to photocopy my ticket for my Christmas card. And, last, asked them if I could put their names down as a reference on my Subway application. I acted like such an asshole. Easily done if you know the DA. My charges were dropped, but I got goaded into a lawsuit against the clubs. (Sorry about that) There's nothing like facing a witness stand when you don't even live there. In any case... Keep this in mind: You're not stripping or giving a lapdance. You're an artist performing. Even if you're performing in a lap on a penis. You even get a tax break for being in the arts. Interpretation is 9/10 of the law. It's an endless fight for law makers, but they have to pretend. You are in the bible belt. Chin up. They'll focus on something else, like MO meth problems, or MO highways, soon. And, while this is going on, go for the 'naughty' dollar. "Sir, let me dance for you again. We could get arrested for this. It's making me so hot thinking about getting caught."
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
Quote:
Originally Posted by Head Boy
What's happening in America at the moment - didn't they learn anything from prohibition.
Despotic moralists do not learn ANYTHING from the real world. They just want to control everyone's morals, I suppose to gain them godly credits at their death-time. It sure isn't because they have our welfare in mind.
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Hyde
This won't hold up in court. Why these moral nannies waste taxpayer money on crap like this mystifies me.
No shit. Live and let live.
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ_WuLf
... Private rooms would only have to allow for the distance requirement. ...
Since the links to the full bill text are broken, I'm at a loss to respond because I'd have to actually read the whole thing in its final version rather than going by the summary and by having read the previous version. My understanding has been that private rooms are defined and prohibited outright, so one of us is in error, but I'll withhold any judgment about it until I get access to the exact language.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ_WuLf
Trust me. Once those billboards are gone this "Law" will be forgotten (just as it has in TX and FLA) until some Cop wants his Knob Schlobbed. Theres the real winner. Yeah I agree That SUX.
Assuming for a moment you're correct, I still think you're understating how much of a problem this causes. "Once they're gone" indicates a period of impact on people's livelihoods before things clear up. You say certain clubs are being targeted; that means someone will lose their business and someone will lose their job, and they may or may not get it back somewhere else after an interim period of possibly no income.
I'm not naive enough to think that I haven't been taking a risk already, but I don't particularly desire to increase that risk. For me to bear the brunt of that while you assure me the industry will survive seems a bit dismissive of a very real dilemma for dancers. You say it sucks; I say it's a total f**k over.
-Ev
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
If your new law is based upon the one passed by the city of La Habra against the Pelican Theatre, then you're probably screwed, blued and tattooed. That law has passed muster even through the very liberal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which recently turned down the appeal to have the entire court hear the case in toto. Last stop: US Supreme Court. Good luck.
CP
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
Quote:
Originally Posted by evan_essence
Note the look of glee on the bill sponsor's face.
Yeah, a stripper probably turned him down for a $60 bbbj or a cheap ride in his limo ::)
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
I have been a member of the Missouri chapter of the Association of Club Executive’s (MoACE) since it’s inception and currently hold a seat on the board of director’s. The member’s of MoAce which only consists of about one third of the affected businesses, the other’s preferring to ride on our shirt tails, have worked aggressively to kill this legislation since it first reared it’s ugly head back in Dec. Through the effort’s of a highly motivated lobby firm and some really ballsy politicians this bill has been chopped down to a fightable substitute on a completely unrelated bill. We will be taking this legislation to court and we have a good chance of beating it, our biggest hurdle thus far has been financial and membership support from within the industry.
That said, to hopefully clarify a few thing’s; The two women involved in starting this rollercoaster of legislation against the Adult Industry are Sarah Steelman and Janet Tillman. Clair McCaskle a Democrat was slated as an ally during her resent gubernatorial race. We also feel that this bill was instigated due largely to the imminent demise of the earlier billboard law that is currently being fought in federal court.
This bill if it hold’s up with it's presumed language ( only because we can’t get an official copy of the substituted language about adult businesses ) it will affect way more then the “ nude juice bar’s “, it also take’s away the right for any adult business to hold any liquor license. Make no mistake this bill and it’s author ( Sen. Matt Bartle Rep. ) as he publicly stated, was designed to make Missouri inhospitable for adult businesses.
I would like to take a moment to give props to the people who gave all for our cause thus far, at least those I’m most aware of. Senator Chuck Graham (D), all of GBC consulting ( our lobbyists ) , Anne Michael ( the queen of MoACE ) , Dick Snow of Bazooka’s, Gene Gruender of Passion book stores, Joe Ciro of Showtime Lounge, Dick Bryant ( the bomb ass first amendment lawyer) and most importantly all the entertainer’s that contribute through there club’s to help fund MoACE and fuel it’s cause.
I would solicit anyone willing to help fund or get there club’s involved to contact Anne Michael [email protected] or myself.
Thanks for reading
Bob
Re: Missouri kills strip clubs and quick
Thank you, Bob, for that information and for all you're doing. I've always felt the odds were overwhelming, but I knew from your earlier posts that the association has been putting up a fight. Hopefully, the non-participating clubs will be more help now that the horse has left the stable.
-Ev