Strip Club Tax Survives Speech Lawsuit at Georgia High Court (1)

Georgia’s tax on strip clubs doesn’t violate the US Constitution’s First Amendment right to free speech, the state’s high court ruled Thursday.

The special levy financing the Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Children Fund is content-neutral and furthers the important governmental interest of reducing sex trafficking, the Georgia Supreme Court ruled.

“Like the dozens of other laws, regulations, and ordinances restricting the combination of nudity and alcohol upheld by this Court and the United States Supreme Court, the Assessment satisfies intermediate scrutiny,” Justice Nels S.D. Peterson wrote for the 7-1 court.

Georgia voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2016 ...