Louisiana Passes Religious Republican's New Anti-Porn Law

Louisiana Passes Religious Republican's New Anti-Porn Law

BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Senate on Monday unanimously passed new legislation creating more liability for adult websites, introduced by the religious Republican lawmaker behind the state’s controversial age verification law.

As XBIZ reported, in April the Louisiana House voted 101-1 to pass House Bill 77. The bill would “let the state attorney general pursue civil penalties against companies that do not comply with a law that requires pornography websites to verify the age of its users,” the Louisiana Illuminator reported.

HB 77 was introduced by faith-based therapist and local politician Laurie Schlegel (R-Matairie), the anti-porn activist behind Louisiana’s controversial Act 440, which took effect Jan. 1 and requires “age verification for any website that contains 33.3% or more pornographic material.”

Schlegel has claimed that “pornography is destroying our children and they’re getting unlimited access to it on the internet.”

HB 77 calls for “investigation and pursuit of actions for commercial entities that knowingly and intentionally publish or distribute material harmful to minors and that fail to perform reasonable age verification.”

If the bill is signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards (D), the Louisiana attorney general will be able to investigate pornographic websites and fine any that do not comply with the AV law up to $5,000 a day, the Associated Press reported. Sites that ‘‘knowingly failed” to follow the law would face additional civil penalties of $10,000 per violation.

The bill was backed by all of Louisiana’s Democratic senators and most Democratic representatives, the second time in a few weeks that Democrats have backed potentially industry-crippling anti-porn bills created by a coalition of religious Republican politicians and powerful religiously-inspired pro-censorship lobbies. Last week, the Texas legislature mandated that all adult sites post a warning comprised of anti-porn propaganda points, with virtually every Democratic legislator voting alongside the sponsoring Republicans.

Republicans throughout the country are currently seeking to outlaw all adult content by overturning the 1973 “Miller Test” differentiating First Amendment-protected sexual material from illegal “obscene” material produced to appeal to “a prurient interest.”

To define “material harmful to minors” in the legislation, Louisiana’s Rep. Schlegel expanded a Miller Test reference to “sexual conduct” into her own feverish fantasy of what such content might entail.

For the religious therapist and Republican politician behind the Louisiana bill, “sexual conduct” apparently involves “prurient interest in nudity, sex, or excretion” and “an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact, actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or lewd exhibition of the genitals.”

Main Image: Rep. Laurie Schlegel

Copyright © 2024 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Braindance Unveils '6DOF' VR Tech

Interactive virtual reality platform Braindance has debuted its new Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) VR technology.

Kiiroo, Pineapple Support Launch 'Empower Hour' Series on FeelHubX YouTube Channel

Kiiroo and Pineapple Support have teamed up to launch the “Empower Hour” series on the FeelHubX YouTube channel.

Kansas Law Firm Deploys Religion, Bunk Science While Recruiting Plaintiffs Under AV Law

Kansas-based personal injury law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley is promoting debunked scientific theories and leveraging religious affiliation against the industry while it seeks potential plaintiffs for lawsuits against adult companies under the state’s age verification law.

UK Tech Secretary Lists Age Verification Among OSA Priorities

Peter Kyle, the U.K.’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, on Wednesday made public a draft version of his priorities for implementing the Online Safety Act (OSA), including age verification.

AEBN Publishes Popular Seraches by Country for September, October

AEBN has released its list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Avery Jane Featured on 'Adult Time Podcast'

Avery Jane is the latest guest on the “Adult Time Podcast,” hosted by studio CCO Bree Mills.

FSC: Kansas Law Firm Threatens Adult Site Over Age Verification

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has been notified that Kansas law firm Mann Wyatt Tanksley has sent a letter threatening an adult website with a lawsuit for breaking the state's age verification law.

10th Circuit Rejects Final FSC Appeal in Utah AV Case

The United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit on Monday rejected a motion by Free Speech Coalition (FSC) requesting that the full court rehear its appeal in Free Speech Coalition v. Anderson, the industry trade association’s challenge to Utah’s age verification law.

Trump Nominates Project 2025 Contributor, Section 230 Foe to Chair FCC

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated, as his pick to head the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr — an author of Project 2025 who has called for gutting Section 230 protections.

Streamate's Elevate Partners With Miss Mei on Decriminalization Initiative

Streamate’s Elevate initiative is debuting a November collaboration with creator and community advocate Miss Mei that will highlight the modern criminalization of sex work.

Show More