State Lawmakers Propose Porn Tax Increase

May 13, 2008 |
Valor

Yesterday, Assemblyman Calderon introduced AB 2914 in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee. The bill “could raise as much as $665 million in tax revenue each year off the $4 billion-a-year porn industry.”

Shelley Lubben, an ex-porn star who now campaigns against the industry with the group Pink Cross, said a tax is justified because of the ill effects porn has on performers and consumers. Everything from addiction to drugs or sex itself, assault, disease, rape and prostitution can be counted as side effects of the industry, she said.
Galgiani and Calderon likened the tax to existing “sin taxes” on alcohol and tobacco. They say the cash raised from taxes on strip club fees, pornographic movies, pay-per-view films, sex toys and the like could be used for anything related to education, law enforcement, health care and social services – generally anything paid for from the state’s general fund.
“It essentially creates a slush fund,” said Matt Gray of the Free Speech Coalition.


AB 2914 was moved to the suspense file. If the bill is approved it could raise more than “$500 million every year to fight secondary effects supporters say porn has on drug abuse, rape, and domestic violence.”
Click here to learn more about the bill.