The House Judiciary Committee has voted 8 to 4 to pass a bill (H-5044 Sub A) that would make indoor prostitution illegal.  As I have written before, this bill is not about human trafficking or helping victims.  It is about regulating private behavior and sex between consenting adults. 

     This bill will not stop prostitution.  It will merely diffuse the activity and push it outside.  When was the last time you read about a prostitution sting in the newspaper?  You know the ones I'm talking about: Get a female vice officer to wear a tight dress and have 5 police officers wait in the shadows to catch "johns."  I can't remember the last time I read such a news account.  I might be going out on a limb, but I don't think I have heard about one since I heard about indoor prostitution being legal.  Could it be that prostitutes abandoned the outdoors for indoors since they can't be punished?  Well, if this bill passes, their "advertising" will probably change.  Rather than be a sitting duck indoors, they will just walk around the streets right by the local church, school, and playground.

     I suspect that many legislators might oppose this bill but will vote yes because of pressure.  They will listen to supporters point out that we're the only state where prostitution is legal all over, while neglecting to mention that the laws in the other states are useless, since prostitution still exists.  Supporters will talk about the need to stop human trafficking, but won't mention that there are already laws on the books that address this issue.  Maybe they think the fines will help balance the budget.