Talk about gun control: Mississippi is mulling a law to make it a crime for a man to appear sexually aroused in public. But if this law actually passes and survives, does it mean that losing sexual arousal between the point of arrest and booking at the local cop shop brings a charge of destroying the evidence?
The legislation in question is the brainchild of Republican state senator Tom King "at the request of a constituent," Reuters says. This constituent, the news wire continues, was "concerned about the behavior of patrons at strip clubs." The legislation is said to define nudity to include "the showing of covered male genitals in a discernibly turgid state."
And, if this law actually passes and survives, men who run afoul of it could get up to a year behind bars and a $2,000 fine.
Forrest County Supervisor Johnny DuPree says this law would "set some boundaries on what (strip club patrons) can or cannot do in a community." DuPree has opposed opening a strip club at a National Guard base at Camp Shelby, near Hattiesburg, and says the law would also help local government's combat indecent acts.
Reuters says this bill is modeled on a similar law in Indiana. The state Senate Judiciary Committee is giving the bill a final review.
