House Kills Bill Aiming To Chill Strippers Nude Dancing Limits Among Laws Blocked By A Legislative Deadline

Strippers can breathe easier thanks to a major legislative deadline Friday.

A bill that would have banned tips for nude dancers and required an 8-foot “no contact zone” between dancers and customers failed to clear the House Law & Justice Committee.

Committee Chairman Larry Sheahan, R-Rosalia, said he didn’t advance the measure because of protests by communities trying to enact their own restrictions.

The proposal was one of many killed by Friday’s deadline for Senate bills to be approved by House panels and vice versa.

A gun bill opposed by advocates for victims of domestic violence survived.

State law prohibits people convicted of some felonies and misdemeanors from possessing firearms. Similar federal restrictions, however, apply only to felonies. The bill passed by the House would bring the state in line with the federal law.

The Senate Law and Justice Committee amended the bill to ensure that people convicted of domestic violence crimes would still be prohibited from possessing guns.

Other action Friday included:

The House Law and Justice Committee approved a Senate bill toughening penalties for domestic violence.

The Senate Labor, Commerce and Trade Committee failed to act on a proposal to ease restrictions on teen work hours, effectively killing the bill.

The House Natural Resources Committee rejected a motion by Democrats to vote on legislation establishing a permanent moratorium on oil and gas drilling off the coast of Washington.

The Senate Education Committee took no action on “parental rights” legislation that would have required schools to get parental permission before offering sex education, AIDS classes and surveys that ask for personal information.