County To Crack Down On Sex Shops Commissioners Want New Law, Plan To Enforce An Old One
Spokane County commissioners plan to crack down on sex shops they say promote prostitution, drug use and violence while damaging family values, demeaning women and deflating property values.
Commissioners will ask their civil attorney tonight to begin crafting a law similar to the city of Spokane’s to force arcades and nude-dancing establishments to pay annual licensing fees.
They also vow to begin enforcing an old ordinance that requires sex shops to be lighted throughout at all times and to have unlocked doors on peep-show booths.
“I look at them as an affront and deprecation of women first and secondly, as something that has a potential effect on the family,” Commissioner Steve Hasson said. “It’s in conflict with family values.”
The county began peeking at adult entertainment last spring after a push by antipornography activist Penny Lancaster, an elementary school teacher.
On July 30, Lancaster, a sheriff’s captain and Francine Boxer, county assistant chief administrative officer, toured all three adult businesses located in the unincorporated area.
At Paradise Adult Books, 12122 E. Sprague Ave., they found at least three violations of the existing county code. The halls were dark, the doors on booths were locked and there were holes in the walls between booths - enabling sexual contact between viewers.
A Paradise employee named Denny refused to give his last name and said he was unaware of the county proposal, but would call his lawyer.
A tour of Ms Kitty’s, 6311 E. Sprague, revealed no obvious violations.
Owner Alex Texmo said she’s already in compliance. “I have no problem with complying with anything the county commissioners do,” she said. “If I have a problem, I’ll sue them.”
The trio of sex spies also visited Deja Vu, 8722 E. Sprague.
They observed a “couch dance” in a dark room in which a dancer, clad in a tiny bra and a G-string, straddled a male customer’s lap.
“It was quite an eye-opening experience,” the county’s Boxer said. “It looked like they were having strong sexual contact. They were touching.”
Deja Vu general manager general manager Brian Knutson denied that sex was occurring, but conceded the room was dark. Other than that, “we’re all up to the code already.”
The county will hold a public hearing in a few weeks on the ordinance. Plans now include requiring businesses to buy a $500 license every year and a $50 license for each booth. Managers also would have to be licensed - at $30 a year - and be free of a felony record.
Hasson said the sheriff’s department is too taxed to enforce the ordinance, so that job will fall to building and safety inspectors.
The existing ordinance requires doors to be cut off 18 inches from the bottom and 18 inches from the top.
Lancaster wants to see the doors banned, period.
“Take the doors off, turn on the lights and have direct line of sight,” she said. “No more dark hallways. It’s just a matter of time before our city and county become even more of a red-light district.”
Commission Chairman Phil Harris said the ordinance would be drawn carefully to survive court challenges.
Attorneys hired by city adult-oriented businesses are challenging the state constitutionality of the city’s ordinance.
“We have to be a little careful,” Harris said. “We want to make sure we clean them up but not restrict the rights of the business owners.”
, DataTimes