The Senate Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice is the latest legislative panel to advance a bill stopping legal adults from working in adult entertainments.
GOP Sen. Clay Yarborough's measure (SB 1690) stipulates that owners would be subject to first-degree misdemeanor charges regarding those under 21 working in the clubs and other adult establishments. If those under 21 dare to bare, the penalty is enhanced to a second-degree felony penalty for the proprietors.
Yarborough was absent from the committee, so Chair Jennifer Bradley presented as a move against the "modern-day slavery" of human trafficking, which includes this "labor exploitation" that the state has a "compelling interest" in thwarting.
In committee, Bradley added an amendment saying ignorance of an employee's age is no defense against charges under this potential law, which affects adult bookstores, adult theaters, special cabaret and unlicensed massage establishments.
It's unclear as to how this bill will affect the state fiscally, as those issues weren't discussed in this committee, and as a panel of state economists couldn't predict the impact.
Monday's Criminal Justice Estimating Impact Conference meeting found that they couldn't guarantee the bill would subject any scofflaws to incarceration, tacitly raising questions about whether this high-profile slam of college girls stripping will accomplish anything other than punitive symbolism.
Analysts said "there just isn't data right now" as to how this will impact prison beds, so the ultimate impact is considered to be "positive indeterminate" at this point.
HB 1379, carried by Republican Rep. Carolina Amesty, is also moving through committees. It will need an amendment to conform with the current Senate product.
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