PRATTVILLE, AL — Autauga County Commissioner Michael Morgan says he understands the law of the land, even if he doesn’t like it.“I realize that under the First Amendment you can’t outlaw nearly nude dancing,” Morgan said, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. “But we can control a business’ hours, we can outlaw dancing in private rooms.”
In short, “we can put so many restrictions on them, they will just want to go somewhere else,” Morgan said of topless bars, adult cabarets, adult bookstores, and other adult businesses.
Morgan is due to present new legislation that would introduce such restrictions at Tuesday night’s commission meeting at the Autauga County Courthouse, according to the Advertiser.
“If we can get this passed through the legislature, Autauga County will have the most stringent law in the state on nearly nude dancing,” Morgan said.
Although he specifically cited restrictions he would like to see imposed on “nearly nude dancing,” Morgan’s legislation reportedly would also target adult book, video and novelty stores, although no such businesses currently exist in Autauga County.
According to the Advertiser, Morgan’s current effort to restrict adult businesses followed a raid conducted February 6th on the 31-65 Club. The owner of the club was cited by the Alabama Beverage Control Board for allowing customers to touch male dancers.
Nearly nude dancing is permissible under current Alabama law, provided that genitalia and female dancers’ areolas are covered, but it is unlawful for customers to touch dancers.
Autauga County residents interviewed by the Advertiser were split on the notion of imposing tighter restrictions on adult businesses in the area.
“I just think there are more important things to worry about,” said Prattville resident Ken Sellers. “It’s not like this stuff goes on all day every day in Autauga County.”
“Heck, they closed the topless bar,” added Sellers. “There ain’t no fun left anyway.”
According to the Advertiser, the topless bar Sellers referred to was a bar near the Interstate 65 and US Highway 31 interchange called the Crossroads. The local sheriff’s and district attorney’s offices closed the club about three years ago, on the basis that the Crossroads was operating without a proper business license.
Jeannie Carter of Autauga County said now is the time for authorities to act, before more businesses offering nearly nude dancing set up shop in the area.
“Do we want to have one place right after another before we do something?” said Carter. “We just don’t need that element here.”
Invoking a common refrain for opponents of adult businesses, Carter complained that the presence of a topless bar, or even advertising for such, would complicate her role as a parent.
“I don’t want to have to explain such things to my 8-year-old daughter if she sees a sign on the road advertising exotic dancers,” Carter said.
