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Want to go to a strip club and have a few drinks?

Its likely youll first have to pay a tax, if a newly proposed bill becomes state law.

Calling it a sexually oriented business tax, Assemblyman Das Williams, D-Santa Barbara/Ventura, introduced a bill that would require a charge equal to $10 per customer who patronizes strip clubs that serve alcohol. The revenue collected from Assembly Bill 2441 would help fund vital services to victims of sexual and domestic violence, as well as cover the cost to process forensic exam (or rape) kits.

The bill states the fee would not be passed on to the entertainers, and it would be up to club owners to determine the manner in which they would pay the tax.

There is evidence that shows a nexus between (sexual) violence and strip club establishments, said James Joyce, spokesperson for Williams. There is an issue of funding being decreased, and there is definitely a need to fund these vital services.

According to the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA), Californias 84 rape crisis centers served around 30,000 victims in 2011. The states general fund contributed just $45,000 to all rape crisis centers combined, equating to about $1.50 per rape victim. The federal budget has an additional proposed cut of $800,000 to the rape set-aside fund in the 2012/2013 budget.

Its essential we create a new funding stream, said Sandra Henriquez, executive director of CALCASA. There are many elements of society that encourage and foster sexual objectification, which is at the root of sexual violence. Were not saying strip clubs cause rape, but they contribute to its climate. A sexually oriented business tax sets precedents that take the public health approach, and can use this money to change awareness and attitudes and looking at those linkages.

Henriquez compared the bills public health approach to that of the states cigarette tax.

Opposition to the bill comes from the Association of Club Executives (ACE), CalSmallBiz, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety.

While helping sexual assault programs is a noble cause ultimately, arbitrary and excessive taxes on citizens who like adult entertainment is but a steppingstone to tax other business, said Angelina Spencer, ACE executive director. If you tax each patron $10 per head to enter a strip club, how long will it be before an official decides its a great idea to tax every patron who walks into a bar to fund alcoholism recovery? When we recognize that most people are rational actors capable of weighing the consequences and benefits of their actions, the need for a Nanny State tax is diminished.

Read the original here:
New bill may tax strip clubs to pay for rape services