Rep. Cameron Seeks Local Regulation of Strip Clubs

NEWS NOTE: Yesterday the House Judiciary Committee heard a bill on giving communities the ability to regulate adult sex businesses. This issue has stirred up many Salem residents opposing a new adult store across from a local park. Rumor has it that the bill is going nowhere, and that the vote to send it to another committee was just a way of avoiding a true yes/no vote in the committee. Out in force against the bill was the American Association for Nude Recreation who bare it all in their defense of nudists rights. Rep. Cameron has been leading the fight on this issue of more local nieghborhood control and OregonCatalyst features his press release is below:

Rep. Cameron Seeks Local Regulation of Strip Clubs
News from the Capitol, April 18, 2007

Representative Cameron has authored two priority bills in an effort to aid local government authorities to regulate strip clubs in their community.

HJR 56 is a referral to the voters to amend the Constitution of the State of Oregon. This amendment would allow state or local governments to use their regulatory authority to restrict strip clubs to the extent allowed under the Constitution of the United States. This amendment is limited to regulating strip clubs and does not include other adult establishments. HB 3547 provides the ballot title for the ballot referral.

On September 29, 2005, in The State of Oregon v. Ciancanelli, the Oregon Supreme Court, in a 5-1 decision, overturned the conviction of the crime of promoting a live sex show. In a separate ruling, the Court also found a city of Nyssa ordinance requiring a four-foot buffer between nude dancers and patrons unconstitutional. In one fell swoop, the Oregon Supreme Court has declared live sex acts as constitutionally protected freedom of speech and restricted local communities from making good decisions for its citizens. The Court’s interpretation of Oregon’s free expression law establishes protections far beyond what the United States Constitution guarantees

This extreme interpretation of the State of Oregon’s freedom of expression law comes at a cost to local communities, families, and public safety. This bill is an attempt to balance important civil liberties while at the same time giving people options to keep their children and communities protected and properties safe.