The bill, combined during the Senate's committee approval process, combats the negative secondary effects of sexually oriented businesses in Missouri by imposing several meaningful time, place and manner restrictions. After Aug 28, 2010, the legislation will prohibit a person from establishing a sexually oriented business within 1,000 feet of a pre-existing school, house of worship, state-licensed day care, public library, public park, residence or other sexually oriented business. It also bars a person who has been convicted of or imprisoned for certain crimes within the last eight years from establishing an adult business.
The bill prohibits nude performances and restricts semi-nude activity within sexually oriented businesses. It also prohibits adult establishments from operating between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., and bars anyone younger than 18 from being on the premises at any time.
"This is a hard-fought victory for family values," Goodman said. "We have crafted an effective, yet well-measured and responsible bill that will regulate sexually oriented businesses within the defined parameters of the U.S. Constitution."
"This issue has been a top priority of mine for many years," Bartle said. "It's a tremendous relief to me that my colleagues recognized the importance of this issue and fought to get a bill passed before regular session ended. One need only take a short trip on any of Missouri's major highways to see that the proliferation of smut shops is out of control. There's no question that regulations need to be put in place so we can protect our communities from decreased property values and an environment ripe for crime."
The Missouri Sex Offender Registry may be found here.
Comments