Mandatory Condoms a Go in Simi Valley

SIMI VALLEY, Calif.—The Simi Valley City Council on Monday night approved an ordinance, first introduced in late January, requiring as a stipulation of being granted filming permits that adult productions shot within its borders outfit performers with condoms during sex acts. The new law, proposed by Simi's mayor, Bob Huber, following the January 17 passage of a virtually identical measure by the Los Angeles City Council, goes into effect in 31 days, according to the Ventura County Star. Despite its ostensible intent to keep porn shoots out of Simi, there don't seem to be many occuring there to begin with; the Star quotes Environmental Services director Peter Lyons as saying that of 59 filming permits the city issued in 2011, only one was for an adult movie. Of course, the overriding purpose of the measure is to serve as a preventative one, out of fear that L.A.'s mandatory condom law would send adult producers scurrying to neighboring Simi to skirt the hotly debated requirement. But with L.A. officials floundering to figure out how to enforce said requirement, that fear seems to be proving rather unfounded thus far.