CAPITOL LETTERS

Two lawmakers are pushing bills that would charge a flat fee at strip clubs to raise money for sexual assault prevention, counseling and treatment.
Rep. Ellen Cohen, D-Houston, and our own Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, say they're crafting bills that would force patrons at topless bars and strip clubs to pay a $5 cover charge, raising an estimated $40 million a year. Mr. West’s legislation would take it a step farther, requiring all sexually oriented businesses to pay an annual $5,000 registration fee.
The bills will make big headlines because of their timing: Texas is in the midst of considering a bunch of Jessica's Laws -- including instituting 25-year minimum sentences for child sex offenders and the death penalty for repeat offenders. Victims’ rights advocates and prosecutors have spoken out against parts of the laws, saying they’ll have the unintended consequences.
Opponents in the nightclub and adult bookstore industry say it’s unfair to charge their patrons for a problem that isn’t theirs – and that lawmakers are clearly insinuating that there’s a link between adult entertainment and sexual assault. Lawmakers say it's not about making a direct connection -- but that women, who are disproportionately affected by sexual assault, are also disproportionately represented in strip clubs.