by KYW's Tony Romeo

A Pennsylvania lawmaker wants to study the possibility of taxing sex businesses in the state.

State Senator Jane Orie, an Allegheny County Republican, points to a state like Texas, which has enacted a so-called “pole tax,” a $5 admission fee at strip clubs. She’s planning to sponsor a resolution that would have Pennsylvania conduct studies similar to those that have been done on other states:

“What I’m trying to do is have the state of Pennsylvania conduct the same study, to look at the adult entertainment industry, and the secondary effects it has, for example, with child abuse, and with domestic violence, with mental health issues.”

Orie claims that studies done in other areas have produced “compelling results.” Her proposal would examine the feasibility of a state tax on adult-oriented businesses to fund child abuse and domestic violence services.