Ala.: Sex Toys Not Focus of State Adult Ban

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Two government officials responsible for the controversial adult bill banning the sale of sex toys have spoken out, claiming that sex toys were never the focus of the anti-obscenity bill, first proposed in 1998.

Sen. Tom Butler and Madison County District Attorney Tim Morgan said the Anti-Obscenity Enforcement Act was designed to officially shut down strip clubs, and that only one line in the 14-page bill referred to the sale of sex toys.

Both Morgan and Butler said that the line banning the distribution of "any device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of the human genital organs" was simply one of the bill's many elements copied from laws already established in surrounding states.

"Neither Tom Butler nor myself or anybody drafted the bill," said Morgan, adding that that task was the state's Legislative Reference Service's responsibility.

Butler's and Morgan's comments were the result of recent media coverage following sex shop owner Sherri William's final appeal of the bill, who took the case to the Supreme Court last week.

"It's become quite an embarrassment to the state," Williams said, who argues that the bill is an unconstitutional intrusion into the bedroom.

However, Morgan believes the law is constitutionally sound, but that the Court will likely decline to hear the case.

As for dealing with the issue at the state level, Morgan said, "Sex toys are not the highest priority on our radar right now."

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

LELO Debuts 'LELO Labs' Enhancements Line

LELO has introduced its new LELO Labs line of performance enhancers.

Adam & Eve Reveals Results of 'Bedroom Confidence' Survey

Adam & Eve has released the results of a survey asking respondents about their level of confidence in the bedroom.

EU Court: France Can Require Foreign Sites to Implement AV

The European Union’s Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday that France may require pornographic websites based in other EU states to implement age verification in accordance with French law, as long as France follows EU electronic commerce rules.

Lovense, Hustler Hollywood Partner for 'Turned On' Event Series

Lovense and Hustler Hollywood have partnered for a series of product demonstration and staff training events, taking place in 18 cities throughout July.

Orion Debuts 2 New Styles From Cottelli Lingerie

Orion Wholesale has introduced two new styles from its Cottelli Lingerie line.

Lovehoney Group Names Simon Smith Sales Director

Lovehoney Group has appointed Simon Smith as its new sales director for the Americas.

Honey's Place, Paradise Sign 'Illumination' Distro Deal

Honey's Place has signed a deal with pleasure brand Paradise to distribute its Illumination line of light-up, app-controlled vibrators.

Lawsuit Alleging Meta Pirated VMG Content Will Move Forward

A U.S. district court on Thursday rejected Facebook parent company Meta’s motion to dismiss a suit by Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings, which accuses Meta of pirating VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Anti-Porn Senator Introduces Federal Age Verification Bill

U.S. Senator Jim Banks of Indiana, who last month urged the Department of Justice to ramp up obscenity prosecutions, on Wednesday introduced a bill that would make age verification by adult websites federal law.

Orion Expands 'Your Strap-On' Collection From You2Toys Line

Orion Wholesale has added two new sets to the Your Strap-On collection from its You2Toys line.

Show More