$pread Blog

Assembly Member Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn) is putting in a bill that would require licenses for strippers in New York State.  According to the New York Sun, ""Un-permitted danceers" would face fines up to $20 for a first-time violation and $50 for subsequent violations." The club would also be fined, and the bill sets the penalty as high as $2000 for repeat offenders. 

The purpose of the bill is apparently to combat human trafficking. The giant leap of logic is: trafficking victims are being exploited in strip clubs. Traffickers won't license the trafficking victims and then they can be culled from the crowd when the police come by to check everyone's permits. 

The bill isn't going anywhere for now, even with a sexy sponsor's memo that uses the word "trafficking" a billion times and the fancy New York Sun coverage the issues received yesterday. The bill still needs a sponsor in the State Senate, and it's late in the year for anything to happen in '07. 

I wonder if the Assembly Member has ever talked to actual strippers about his grand idea?