OHIO    
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LEGISLATIVE

Senate Bill 16
The genesis of this bill was an initiative sponsored by Citizens for Community Values, a Cincinnati-based pseudo-religious group opposed to nudity, homosexuality and a list of other "sins." The leader of the group, Phil Burress, professes to be a recovering pornography addict. He says he cannot view many of the movies he wishes to blast, so he has his wife watch them and give him detailed reports.

SB 16 itself establishes limits on erotic entertainment venues. Early in the process (which actually dates back to Ohio House Bill 469 in 2002), the Naturist Action Committee was successful in pulling naturist issues out of the legislation. As a result, NAC did not oppose SB 16 in 2007. Nevertheless, NAC monitored the bill very carefully.

SB 16 was passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Ted Strickland on June 4, 2007. Subsequently, a group headed by owners of erotic entertainment businesses, alcoholic beverage purveyors and entertainers sought to place the matter on the statewide ballot on November 6, 2007, by obtaining 241,366 valid signatures. They gathered only 125,430.

Senate Bill 18
The purpose of SB 18 was to revise existing Ohio law to "prohibit an offender from having a criminal record sealed when the underlying offense is importuning for which the conviction occurs on or after the effective date of the act, or the underlying offense is voyeurism, public indecency, compelling prostitution, promoting prostitution, procuring, disseminating matter  harmful to juveniles, displaying matter harmful to juveniles, pandering obscenity, or deception to obtain matter harmful to juveniles when the victim of the offense is under eighteen years of age ..."

Convictions under § 2907.09 of the Ohio Revised Code are included among those records that cannot be sealed, if the "victim" is under the age of 18. Section 2907.09 is the state's public indecency statute.

SB 18 was signed into law by Ohio Governor Ted Strickland on July 10, 2007, and is effecctive October 10, 2007.

The Naturist Action Committee retains a professional legislative lobbyist in Ohio. The American Association for Nude Recreation and its regional affiliate, AANR-Midwest, share with NAC the expense of the lobbyist. NAC expresses its grateful appreciation to the members and leaders of AANR and AANR-MW for their participation in this important partnership.

The Ohio legislature meets from January 2, 2008 through December 31, 2008. Bills from 2007 DO CARRY OVER to the 2008 session.

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LOCAL

Alum Creek
Traditional clothing-optional recreational use near the south end of Williams Lake (Alum Creek Lake) in Delaware County is being threatened by the construction of a nearby soccer field. Local authorities have been non-responsive to questions concerning the avoidance of user conflict.

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The NAC board member responsible for Ohio is Bob Morton.

View the state laws for Ohio.

© 2007 Naturist Action Committee, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.