SACRAMENTO, CA — In a press release issued Wednesday evening, the Free Speech Coalition states that Monday’s 10th annual Celebrate Free Speech Lobbying Day event was a great success, but adds that more attendees from within the industry are needed for next year’s event.Among the lobbying efforts at this year’s event was opposition to Assembly Bill 1551, a measure crafted by Assemblyman Chuck Calderon (D-Whittier) which would establish an “Adult Entertainment Venue Impact Fund.”
According to the text of the bill, the measure is “intended to represent a balancing of competing interests: addressing criminal activity and protecting neighborhoods and development through the taxation of adult entertainment venues balanced against the legally protected rights of adult entertainment establishments and patrons.”
In a press release issued earlier this week, FSC Executive Director Diane Duke observed that, just like the mainstream motion picture industry, the adult industry must “compete against overseas competition which pirates our products and sells them over the internet,” obstacles that are burdensome enough on their own, even without the added tax advocated by Calderon.
“More than 50,000 people are employed by the industry in California,” added Duke. “Do we really want to compromise those jobs?”
According to NBC11.com, the website for Bay Area NBC television affiliate KNTV, Calderon said the bill is about revenue, not morality.
“It’s necessary to raise revenues,” Calderon said. “I mean we tax cigarettes, we tax liquor, goalies, those are special taxes and so this is a special tax as well.”
While Calderon may contend that the bill is not about morality, the text of the legislation leaves little doubt as to the author’s belief that adult businesses negatively impact their surrounding communities.
Assembly Bill 1551 states, among other things that “Adult entertainment venues engender many types of criminal activities,” and “frequently cause adverse effects on local property values and on the public health, safety, and welfare of citizens in their vicinity, and on the character of local neighborhoods.”
The bill also asserts that the “presence of adult entertainment venues often impacts the character of neighborhoods and curtails and prevents development of properties in its general vicinity.”
Duke said that whatever the rationale for the bill, its impact on the industry would be calamitous.
“Assemblyman Calderon told us that it wasn’t anything personal against the industry,” said Duke. “We told him that it doesn’t get more personal than the threat of losing ones livelihood.”
The lobbying day wrapped up with the Free Speech Legislation Reception, sponsored by Wicked Pictures, during which lawmakers, their staff, and free speech advocates all gathered to celebrate free speech.
Matt Gray, the FSC’s California state lobbyist, said that all went well at this years event – but that next year, the FSC needs more people to attend on behalf of the industry.
“Feedback from lawmakers and staff indicates our groups were well received,” said Gray. “A number of others asked why we didn’t make it into their offices – it is a popular event; and we simply need more attendees next year.”
According to NBC11.com, the FSC also voiced opposition to a California Senate measure to rezone group homes for sex offenders as adult businesses. Both that bill and Assembly Bill 1551 are scheduled for further debate in May.
