AB 1576 Passes California Assembly By Small Margin

SACRAMENTO—Although the final talley is not yet in, because California Assembly members can vote until the end of business today, a preliminary count by Free Speech Coalition lobbyist Ignacio Hernandez of the Assembly's vote on AB 1576 showed 43 Assembly members in support, 13 opposed, with the rest not voting ... yet. "There are 80 members of the Assembly," noted FSC CEO Diane Duke. "They have to have 41 in order for it to pass, from my understanding; a majority vote to pass." "Today’s passage of AB 1576 was a strong reaffirmation of the California Legislature’s commitment to protect workers in the state, regardless of the type of work performed," Assemblymember Isadore Hall, III, who introduced the bill, told the bill's sponsor, AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "For too long, the adult film industry has thrived on a business model that exploits its workers and puts profit over workplace safety. The fact is, adult film actors are employees, like any other employee for any other business in the state. A minimum level of safety in the workplace should not have to be negotiated. "We need to begin to treat the adult film industry just like any other legitimate, legal business in California," he continued. "Legitimate businesses protect their employees from injury in the workplace. This legitimate, legal business should be treated no differently. Whether you work in agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, food service, public safety or any other industry, all workers deserve a safe place to make a living." Most of Hall's statements were previously challenged by opponents of the bill. But the bill, which would require mandatory "barrier protections" for adult performers having sex on camera, is not a done deal yet. "Next, it goes to the Senate Labor Committee, and there's five members on that," Duke said. "It'll be June when it goes to the Senate Labor Committee. June 30 is when the legislature recesses, so by the end of June, it has to be voted on by the Labor Committee. It might go to another committee or it might go to Appropriations; we should know more by the end of the week or so. It was just voted out today, so it hasn't even gotten to the Senate side yet. If it doesn't get out of Labor and Appropriations by the end of June, it's dead." Duke was unsure which of the scheduled Labor Committee meetings the bill would be taken up in: either June 11 or 30. "We're disappointed, but we're not surprised," Duke said in a statement to AVN. "For anyone not familiar with the adult industry, including most legislators, the bill seems like a no-nonsense provision that would protect performers. Unfortunately, it threatens to harm the very performers it seeks to protect. This is why over five hundred performers have spoken out against the bill, and groups like the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee, the Harvey Milk Democratic Club and the Transgender Law Center. The real goal of the bill is to push adult production out of California by manufacturing a crisis. It makes for great headlines, but dangerous public policy. We're incredibly concerned."