A recent story reported that a bill which would require future adult businesses to be located at least a quarter-mile from homes, schools, churches and playgrounds has passed the state Senate Judiciary Committee and goes now to the full Senate for a vote. Also included in the bill are hours limitations.
The story went on to say that the bill states that Adult businesses must close between 1 AM and 8 AM and Sundays until Noon. Additionally, there are provisions which allow any citizen of a county or municipality to take legal action against adult businesses which violate the proposed law. There is a “grandfather clause” allowing existing businesses to remain in present locations. The bill has already passed the House.
A story in the Arizona Daily Sun reported that the bill cites negative secondary effects as justification for the proposed law. However, rather than relying on secondary effects studies done in Arizona, it states that hearings and reports from major secondary effects cases are enough to show that “adult oriented businesses… are associated with a wide variety of adverse secondary effects, including negative impacts on surrounding properties, personal and property crimes, illicit drug use and trafficking, lewdness, prostitution, potential spread of disease and sexual assault.”
Portions of this courtesy of the Free Speech X-Press, the weekly newsletter of the Free Speech Coalition. More info at www.freespeechcoalition.com.
