A coalition of strip club activists fighting to repeal a new Ohio law that prohibits clubs from offering nude entertainment from midnight to 6 AM and increases penalties for illegal touching was dealt a severe blow when two-thirds of their petition signatures were ruled invalid.
Of the 382,500 signatures submitted on the petitions, only 125,400 were ruled valid. The coalition has only ten days to get an additional 116,000 valid signatures to force the issue to be placed before the voters on the statewide November ballot.
In addition to the arbitrary hours of operation limitation, the law sets a maximum penalty of 30 days in jail and a $250 fine if patrons physically touch nude or semi-nude performers. If a patron touches certain areas like the breast or genitals, the penalty is a maximum of six months in prison and a $1,000 fine.
One must wonder what harm to society can occur as a result of a person appearing nude before consenting adults after midnight. Is this law intended to protect society or harm the ability of strip clubs to do business and dancer income potential? The answer is obviously the latter.
This is just another example of the enemies of strip clubs running roughshod over the citizens’ court-affirmed constitutional rights.