KVUE - Lawmakers hear bill to outlaw prostitution ads

[LordBeaverbrook]

Ran across this article recently here - http://www.kvue.com/story/news/2014/05/23/2375104/

AUSTIN -- Texas lawmakers are considering a measure to make it a crime to buy advertisements soliciting prostitution.

Republican Rep. Jose Manuel Lozano of Kingsville called his proposal the Backpage Bill.

Attorneys general across the country have accused the website Backpage.com of facilitating child prostitution rings. Village Voice Media has sold the company, and Craigslist has banned similar advertising.

In a hearing before the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, Lozano used his iPad to demonstrate the current advertising on Backpage.com. He read an ad offering the services of a young, hot, freaky, addicting, petite young Latina.

His proposal would make it a felony to buy such advertising and might press Backpage.com to get out of the business.

[TemptationTammie]

They are already careful on what words they allow. But BP isn't the greatest place to advertise. I don't advertise on there much at all because even when I was advertising only body rubs on there I would still end up with half of the guys as flakes or NCNS.

[chelseabean]

Wow. That is really draconian. A felony? A fucking felony. That is insane. I like backpage. I don't advertise there much anymore, but it's a great resource and if you screen correctly, you can get a lot of very loyal guys who don't consider this to be their hobby, ie, they don't feel the need to do the devil's tango with everything that moves and if they like you, you've got a client for years, or for however long you plan to be in this. Let's pass this on to EFN since she has taken up the mantle. This an interesting local and discrete issue that might be able to effect the movement as a whole.

[profs2020]

I'll bet a good number of our elected officials on here, they are the biggest mongers of all.

[Toyz]

A felony? When the act itself isn't one?

[Jennatx]

Really I think this is silly to make it a felony.

[cckid2006]

Posted in Alerts in response to LBb. Rep. Jose Manuel Lozano success in 2013:

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLoo...3R&Bill=HB1483

Similar bill introduced in 2013:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/repor...hor&Code=A2065

[zencntr_01]

I can't wait for all the politicians and staff to return, the number of providers active in the Austin area seems to go way up when the legislature is in session.

[Passion2015]

The felony should be the cost!!!! just saying. Lol

[LordBeaverbrook]

Originally Posted by Toyz

A felony? When the act itself isn't one?

No, felony advertising for (technically) a legal service. Sounds crazy to me, but it IS the Texas Lege

Originally Posted by Jennatx

Really I think this is silly to make it a felony.

Silly, no, shitty, yes. Unconstitutional, probably, passed, likely.

Originally Posted by cckid2006

Posted in Alerts in response to LBb. Rep. Jose Manuel Lozano success in 2013:

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLoo...3R&Bill=HB1483

Similar bill introduced in 2013:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/repor...hor&Code=A2065

Pulled your post from Alerts since it had good info that this was at least premature if not bogus. Lege likes to work on "problems" like this in order to avoid doing things that might help Texans.

Originally Posted by cckid2006

That's interesting in that the legislature is not in session until January 2015. "The Texas Legislature meets in regular session on the second Tuesday in January of each odd-numbered year." There is no special session going on now. Considering his record:

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/repor...hor&Code=A2065

I'm not too worried if he decides to file alleged bill in 2015. Now he did file a bill that may have been related to this in 2013:

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/BillLoo...3R&Bill=HB1483

But no references to specific websites. Not disputing your info LB, but if KVUE had that, it was fabricated or they neglected to clarify it was intent not actual.

The link was here for anyone to see. The date on that KVUE article was May 2014 BTW.

Doubt it was fabricated, but not verified, certainly. Good sleuthing, thanks. This is the kind of bill that might sail through the Lege though, Constitutional or not, and I suspect that it would not be Constitutional since technically, escorting and body rubs are perfectly legal. As Toyz notes, advertizing for legal services is unlikely to be able to be made into a felony. I don't think even our Texas courts will consistently go with "I know it doesn't say that, but we all know what it means" to convict someone of a felony and lock them away for years. It might just be time to buy stock in private prisons if it does pass though.

[cckid2006]

A little more sleuthing on the honorable Rep. Lozano:

http://www.house.state.tx.us/members...e/?district=43

No press conferences, last news releases in 2011, no newsletters

http://www.texastribune.org/director...manuel-lozano/

Switched from Democrat to Republican in 2012, no twitter posts in the last 4 years

Don’t forget this is an election year = they will say anything to get votes