Missouri Strippers Battle Bill to Keep Them Clothed

Missouri’s strip clubs are begging Gov. Jay Nixon to veto a bill that they say would cost the state thousands of scantily clad jobs. The Republican legislature has passed a law that would forbid Show Me State strippers from dancing naked or touching patrons, and would bar clubs from serving drinks or staying open past midnight. The law “was written to close us down,” says one cabaret owner.

Republicans argue that the industry demeans women and contributes to prostitution. “You've got very vulnerable people who are being coerced into being the fodder for some of these places,” the bill’s sponsor tells the Wall Street Journal. But the clubs also employ 3,000 people and bring the state $4.5 million in sales tax. “It’s really going to mess up a lot of people’s lives if the law completely passes," says one stripper. (More Missouri stories.)