PRINTER'S NO. 1798
No. 245 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, MUSTO, GREENLEAF AND PILEGGI,
FEBRUARY 26, 2008
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 26, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
2 prepare a report on the potential secondary effects of
3 sexually oriented adult businesses on communities in this
4 Commonwealth.
5 WHEREAS, The United States Supreme Court in City of Renton v.
6 Playtime Theatres, 475 U.S. 41 (1986), noted that combating the
7 harmful secondary effects of sexually oriented adult businesses,
8 such as increased crime and neighborhood blight, is a
9 substantial government interest and recognized the importance of
10 using studies to ascertain the secondary effects of such
11 establishments; and
12 WHEREAS, The following studies conducted throughout the
13 United States have provided compelling evidence that sexually
14 oriented adult businesses have an adverse effect on crime rates
15 and property values:
16 (1) The landmark 1993 study conducted by the New York
17 City Division of City Planning, which concluded that the
18 presence of sexually oriented adult businesses tends to
1 produce negative secondary effects such as increased crime,
2 decreased property values and reduced shopping and commercial
3 activities.
4 (2) An Indianapolis study entitled Adult Entertainment
5 Businesses in Indianapolis: An Analysis, which found that the
6 average annual rate for major crimes in areas with adult uses
7 was 23% higher than the corresponding rate for control areas,
8 and the rate for sex-related crimes was 77% higher in the
9 study area than the control area.
10 (3) An Austin, Texas, study, which found that in areas
11 containing adult uses, sex-related crimes were two to five
12 times the citywide average and 66% higher in study areas than
13 control areas.
14 (4) Studies in the cities of Cleveland, Los Angeles and
15 elsewhere, which document that crime rates range from 15% to
16 77% higher in areas containing adult businesses than in those
17 areas containing no adult businesses.
18 (5) A report by the American Planning Association, which
19 found that real estate professionals believe that there is a
20 significant negative impact of adult entertainment businesses
21 on both residential and business properties, among numerous
22 other studies;
23 and
24 WHEREAS, It is reasonable to conclude that an industry that
25 flourishes on the objectification of women does have an impact
26 on the attitudes and beliefs that support sexual violence, and
27 that the connection between sex crimes and sexually exploitative
28 industries is far more complex than mere claims that patrons of
29 adult entertainment venues are more or less likely to perpetrate
30 sexual violence; and
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1 WHEREAS, Traffic, litter, prostitution, parking and noise are
2 common citizen complaints associated with adult entertainment
3 businesses in this Commonwealth's municipalities; therefore be
4 it
5 RESOLVED, That the Senate direct the Legislative Budget and
6 Finance Committee to prepare a report on the existence of
7 secondary effects of sexually oriented adult businesses on
8 communities in this Commonwealth and whether fees assessed to
9 adult entertainment venues may be a mechanism to mitigate such
10 resulting societal ills; and be it further
11 RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
12 advise the General Assembly on both the feasibility and the
13 fiscal impact of placing an excise on such businesses at either
14 the State or local levels in this Commonwealth, as well as
15 sexual assault services and law enforcement entities that could
16 or should benefit from the revenues raised by such an excise;
17 and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
19 report its findings and recommendations to the Finance Committee
20 and the Public Health and Welfare Committee of the Senate no
21 later than 12 months after adoption of this resolution.
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