Tag Archives: strip clubs

When is a strip club not a strip club?

Posted on May 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

When it’s a restaurant, with no strippers. What, did you think that was a trick question? A week after a temporary court order allowed a Houston strip club to resume operations, a federal judge has ruled that the club’s owner … Continue reading →

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Well, they do serve food

Posted on May 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Presented (mostly) without comment: A strip club in Houston has won a temporary order from federal court Friday night allowing it to resume business after a confrontation with police over the governor’s order to allow certain types of businesses to … Continue reading →

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The history of SOB laws in Houston

Posted on November 25, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From strip clubs to robot brothels, we’ve come a long way. Somewhat sheepishly, the city official tried to explain why he had spent more than $2,000 in public funds entertaining out-of-town clients at a topless bar. “They wanted to go … Continue reading →

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New frontiers in strip club tax collections

Posted on July 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

A new-ish development in a decade-long battle. Dozens of “bikini bars” from Houston to San Antonio are suing the state after the Texas Comptroller accused them of skirting the so-called pole tax on nude entertainment and slapped them with seven-figure … Continue reading →

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Are you nostalgic for some strip club litigation?

Posted on June 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Then this is your lucky day. The legal fight over the striptease business in Houston has heated up, again. Two topless bars are suing the city of Houston over a controversial, years-old legal settlement they say unfairly hampers business at … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court re-upholds strip club tax

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Technically, they declined to re-review it, but practically speaking I figure it’ll amount to the same thing. The Texas Supreme Court on Friday declined to review whether a $5-per-patron fee at live nude entertainment clubs is an occupation tax in … Continue reading →

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It was a bad week for the strip clubs

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Another adverse court ruling. A state appeals court on Friday upheld the legality of the state’s so-called “pole tax” on nude entertainment clubs, the latest decision in a six-year battle by Texas officials to collect the $5-per-customer fee from more … Continue reading →

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Combs tells strip clubs to pay up

Posted on May 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Texas Comptroller Susan Combs is pressing the state’s strip clubs to cough up millions of dollars she says they owe under a new “pole tax” even though the $5-a-patron fee still faces a court challenge. “Any claim that ongoing … Continue reading →

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More reactions to the city’s settlement with the strip clubs

Posted on December 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not everyone likes it. Bob Sanborn, CEO of the nonprofit organization Children at Risk, and other advocates against human trafficking said on Wednesday that they should have been consulted before a deal was struck. Mayor Annise Parker, who brokered the … Continue reading →

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Evaluating the strip club settlement

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Some interesting feedback on the city’s recent legal settlement with area strip clubs. South Texas College of Law professor Matthew Festa said the payments are not his central concern, noting cities often condition building permits on a business planting trees … Continue reading →

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City settles longstanding litigation with strip clubs

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From the Mayor’s press release: Recognizing Houston is a hub for human trafficking, the City and 16 area topless clubs have entered into a novel settlement agreement aimed at addressing this heinous crime, ending litigation dating back to 1997 when … Continue reading →

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County settles with Treasures

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s over, at least for now. When city of Houston lawyers settled a public nuisance lawsuit against Treasures last December, Harris County attorneys continued to pursue the jointly filed case, saying they needed more assurances from the strip club that … Continue reading →

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San Antonio strip club lawsuit

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

If you’re a lawyer representing strip clubs these days, you sure don’t lack for business. More than a dozen strip clubs have sued the city of San Antonio over amendments to ordinances requiring entertainers to wear bikinis, claiming the changes … Continue reading →

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City settles with Treasures, county still on the case

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. Prominent strip club Treasures, hauled into court as an alleged public nuisance and haven for crime by city and county attorneys seven months ago, has agreed to put $100,000 in a nuisance abatement fund as part … Continue reading →

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Today’s the day

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

At long last, the death march known as Election 2012 will come to an end today, at which time we can begin gearing up for the next elections in 2013, 2014, and 2016, as well as dreading what the Legislature … Continue reading →

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More strip club cash in the county races

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Given the prevalence of strip clubs in Houston, I’m actually a bit surprised we don’t see more of this in our elections. Four people associated with the strip club Treasures have contributed a combined $48,700 to the Republican challengers for … Continue reading →

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Strip club cash in the Sheriff’s race

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The waning days of a campaign always have the greatest potential for hijinx. A $25,000 political contribution from the owner of a strip club being sued by Harris County lawyers found its way, via the Harris County Deputies Organization, into … Continue reading →

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Strip clubs sue city over $5 fee

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Remember the $5 per customer strip club fee that was added as a budget amendment by CM Ellen Cohen as a way to fund clearing HPD’s backlog of rape kits? The clubs threatened to sue the city at the time … Continue reading →

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Council defers on strip club fee

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Tagged for a week. Consideration of a $5-per-head fee on customers of strip clubs to pay for reducing the city’s backlog of untested rape kits has been delayed for a week. Council members Melissa Noriega and Al Hoang both tagged … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS declines to hear strip club tax case

Posted on January 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The end of the road for this particular bit of litigation. The U.S. Supreme Court will not take up the adult entertainment industry’s lawsuit against the state’s $5-per-patron strip club tax, justices decided Monday. “Texas is now one step closer … Continue reading →

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Supremes uphold strip club tax

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

In a ruling that reverses the 3rd Court of Appeals, the State Supreme Court has unanimously held that the so-called “pole tax” is constitutional. The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that a $5-per-customer fee on strip clubs that serve alcohol … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court hears strip club appeal

Posted on March 28, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

The state Supreme Court has heard arguments in the appeal of the strip club fee lawsuit. Lower courts have sided with the strip clubs, ruling that the fee that has collected more than $13.6 million since 2008 is an unconstitutional … Continue reading →

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Supreme Court to hear strip club tax appeal

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Once more to the courthouse for supporters of the $5 strip club tax that was levied by the Lege to fund sexual abuse and violence treatment and prevention programs, as the state Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal … Continue reading →

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Strip club fee appealed to Supreme Court

Posted on June 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. The legal battles continue to spin around Texas’ so-called “pole tax,” a $5 entrance fee at strip clubs that has been ruled an unconstitutional regulation of free expression. Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott and state Comptroller … Continue reading →

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Appeals court upholds strip club tax ban

Posted on June 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Score two for the state’s strip clubs. The 3rd Court of Appeals panel sided against the $5 per-patron fee, passed by the Legislature in 2007 with the goal of raising sexual-assault prevention funds, in a divided 2-1 opinion released Friday. … Continue reading →

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Strip club fee dies

Posted on June 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, I had sure thought that HB982, the alternate strip club fee bill by Rep. Senfronia Thompson had passed the Senate, but apparently the vote to pass it was reconsidered and was never taken up again, so as a result, … Continue reading →

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City takes aim at more SOBs

Posted on May 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Eight months ago, the city of Houston succeeded in closing down a strip club, its first such victory after finally getting a favorable verdict in the lawsuit to overturn the 1997 ordinance that more strictly regulated sexually-oriented businesses. They’re now … Continue reading →

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The fees not paid

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The battle over the dueling strip club bills in the Lege this session has mostly been over how much revenue each would collect. But the state has to actually collect that revenue for any of that to be relevant. Dozens … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Cohen pulls strip club bill

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

The battle of the strip club bills is over, as Rep. Ellen Cohen has pulled her bill, thus killing it for the session. She said “it was clear there was an attempt to find a point of order” — a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Tuesday Lege roundup

Posted on May 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Some more notes about what has been happening in the Lege… – It looks like the program to test high school athletes for steroids will be scaled back. Texas lawmakers have reached a deal to slash steroid testing of public … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Monday Lege roundup

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of legislative action today beyond the voter ID vaudeville act. Here’s a quick roundup of some other bills of interest. – HB1736, also known as the Tim Cole Act for the man who was posthumously exonerated this February, has … Continue reading →

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More on the alternate strip club tax

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

After publishing about the alternate strip club tax that passed the House yesterday, HB982, I had some correspondence with the offices of Rep. Ellen Cohen and Rep. Senfronia Thompson about the revenue estimates, which I noted seemed quite divergent. Rep. … Continue reading →

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Alternate strip club fee bill passes House

Posted on April 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I didn’t realize there was another bill dealing with the strip club fee out there, but there is, and it passed in the House. Sexually oriented businesses, including adult video stores and nude dancing clubs, would pay a 10 percent … Continue reading →

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Bill filed to modify strip club fee

Posted on March 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Got the following from State Rep. Ellen Cohen’s office: State Representative Ellen Cohen filed House Bill 2070 today to reform the Adult Entertainment Fee she passed during the 80th Legislative Session in 2007. “We have been successful in raising the … Continue reading →

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