FSC Tightens Belt With Layoffs

CANOGA PARK, Calif. — Free Speech Coalition Executive Director Diane Duke said today that due to budget constraints the organization will lay off two of its members at the end of this month.

Leaving FSC will be Kat Sunlove, Director of Legislative Affairs, and Layne Winklebleck, Legislative Affairs Associate. To cut costs, FSC plans to outsource its California lobbying activities, while continuing its federal lobbying efforts through The Raben Group of Washington, D.C.

“Lobbying is a priority for FSC, but the overhead and expense of staffing a separate lobbying office is too great,” Duke said. “With the added expense that comes from FSC’s 18 USC 2257 as well as the FSC vs. Utah litigation, we must scrutinize every dollar.”

Sunlove entered the adult industry more than 25 years ago as a journalist and wrote a sexual advice column, “The Kat Box.” For the last decade, she was an effective lobbyist for the adult entertainment trade group, and filled the FSC executive director position on an interim basis while the group searched for a full-time executive.

Winklebleck also has extensive experience in adult entertainment as editor of the weekly Free Speech X-Press newsletter and several issues of Free Speaker Magazine.

“Two of the institutions established by Kat and Layne, the Free Speech X-Press and our annual Celebrate Free Speech Lobbying Days in Sacramento, have had as much impact on both the organization and the individual members as any activity undertaken by the coalition,” FSC Board Chairman Jeffrey Douglas said. “We are eternally grateful for their contributions.”

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