Adult Business Bill Receives Governor’s Signature.

JEFFERSON CITY — After several years of working to pass a bill that strengthens regulations on adult businesses, Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mt. Vernon, and Sen. Matt Bartle, R-Lee’s Summit, announce yesterday that the governor has signed Senate Bill 586 & 617 into law.

Senate Bill 586 & 617 combats the negative secondary effects of sexually oriented businesses in Missouri by imposing several meaningful time, place and manner restrictions. After Aug 28, 2010, the legislation will prohibit a person from establishing a sexually oriented business within 1,000 feet of a pre-existing school, house of worship, state-licensed day care, public library, public park, residence or other sexually oriented business. It also bars a person who has been convicted of or imprisoned for certain crimes within the last eight years from establishing an adult business.

In addition, the bill prohibits nude performances and restricts semi-nude activity within sexually oriented businesses. It also prohibits adult establishments from operating between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m., and bars anyone younger than 18 from being on the premises at any time.

"This is a hard-fought victory for family values," Sen. Goodman said. "We have crafted an effective, yet well-measured and responsible bill that will regulate sexually oriented businesses within the defined parameters of the U.S. Constitution."

Senator Goodman’s SB 617 was combined with Sen. Bartle’s SB 586 during the Senate’s committee approval process.

"This issue has been a top priority of mine for many years," Sen. Bartle said. "It’s a tremendous relief to me that my colleagues recognized the importance of this issue and fought to get a bill passed before regular session ended. One need only take a short trip on any of Missouri’s major highways to see that the proliferation of smut shops is out of control. There’s no question that regulations need to be put in place so we can protect our communities from decreased property values and an environment ripe for crime."

Senate Leader Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph, said Missouri communities will benefit from the bill.

"Adult businesses in Missouri have been allowed to open and operate with minimal oversight for far too long," Sen. Shields said. "The actions of the governor today will ensure that our state continues to be a family-friendly place to live and visit."

It hit me the other day while tryin’ to negotiate the streets durin’ the High School lunch hour. Used ta be you could tell if a male and female in a car was a "couple." The girl would be sittin’ in the middle next to the male driver. Now a days ya don’t see that much.

Now the prevalence of bucket seats in autos today could be the explanation for this change in habits. I can remember thinkin’ how uncomfortable it musta been for those loyal girlfriends, sittin’ on the console.

‘Course the other explanation may be that young females today are showin’ more independence.

More than likely, it was not this generation that made the break from front seat coziness, but their mothers. Yet another cultural change brought to us by the 60’s, and a legacy to the Volkswagon Beetle.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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Weekly Columns

To Your Good Health

By Paul G. Donohue, M.D.

Popular Asthma Drugs Carry Dire Warning

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I started treatment for asthma for the first time at age 80. At first I took prednisone and albuterol. Then I had a Pulmicort inhaler. Now I am on Symbicort. The material that comes with this medicine advises that this LABA (long-acting beta agonist) may increase the chance of death from asthma. Exactly what is this telling me? -- E.S.

ANSWER: With asthma, there is a sudden constriction of the breathing tubes (bronchi), along with the production of thick mucus. Both block the flow of air into the lungs, and both cause asthma symptoms -- shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. Asthma changes are reversible.

Asthma medications come in three major categories. One is quick-action medicines, the kind that get to work fast to open the breathing tubes. Many of these medicines are SABAs, short-acting beta agonists. Albuterol is one example. Beta agonists dilate bronchi. Too-frequent use of the short-acting beta agonists indicates poor asthma control. They should be used only for an acute attack, and attacks should be infrequent.

The second category is cortisone drugs, the potent suppressors of inflammation. They calm airways and prevent their constriction. They also decrease mucus production. Taken by mouth, cortisone drugs have unpleasant side effects when used for long periods in high doses. Taken by inhaler, the side effects are few. Pulmicort is a cortisone-inhaler drug.

The third category of drug is long-acting drugs, drugs that keep the airways less twitchy for prolonged periods. Long-acting beta agonists, LABAs, belong in this category. LABA drugs have been noted to increase the risk of serious asthma attacks, which ended in fatalities for a few. That was in the days when they were used alone. Now they have been incorporated into preparations combined with cortisone drugs. Since these dual preparations have come to the market, no drug-related asthma fatalities have been reported. The warning still exists because a LABA is part of the drug. You don’t need to worry about your medicine, Symbicort. It’s a dual medicine.