County Board of Supervisors
Room 358, Hall of Administration,
500 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Dear Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors,
I write to you on behalf of the Free Speech Coalition (FSC), the adult product and entertainment industry’s trade association. With the passage of Measure B, put on the ballot and funded solely by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), FSC has a number of concerns with the law, its potential implementation and the ramifications not only for the adult industry but also for Los Angeles County residents.
The law, as passed, is untenable for adult production. Besides the obvious excessive costs of compliance, FSC and the industry have a number of concerns with the law itself. In reviewing the ordinance, numerous Constitutional issues arise as well as the question of jurisdiction. We believe that the law is not only unconstitutional on the grounds of forced expression, but also falls within the jurisdiction of the state of California rather than local government. Therefore, we will file suit and challenge this intolerable law in court.
There are several other problems, of course, including the definitional vagueness, enforcement conundrums and the development of an implementation process. We ask that the County Board of Supervisors suspend the implementation of the law until the courts have rendered their decision on the aforementioned issues. Furthermore, as the County moves to develop an implementation plan, we ask that FSC, the industry’s trade association, be given a seat at the table.
Finally, our industry has been approached, with open arms and tax incentives, to move our adult production to communities that welcome adult production as a vital industry and a positive economic force. In the upcoming weeks and months, we will provide a road map for adult production to move its over a billion dollar industry and its accompanying 10,000 jobs to these welcoming communities.
Evaluating the County’s best interest in this matter, we trust that you will consider all of the foregoing legal and practical problems. Please let us know how we may facilitate a discussion and provide additional information concerning this critical matter.
Thank you for your attention.
Sincerely,
Diane Duke
Chief Executive Officer
