Strip Clubs in Illinois May Get $5 Skin Tax

Call it a skin tax, a sin tax, or a pole tax, but whatever the name, visitors to strip clubs in Illinois may soon have to pony up an extra $5 to get in the door, reports the Chicago Tribune. A state senator has a sponsored a bill calling for the new tax, with the money going to agencies that work to curb sexual abuse or help victims of assault.

"We all need to be working toward a society that understands violence against women is inappropriate in all circumstances and all times," says lawmaker Tiffany Winkler. She and other proponents think that the clubs perpetuate the objectification of women. Club owners are adamantly opposed and say the bill would force smaller venues to close. "I think $5 is an industry killer," says one lobbyist. (More skin tax stories.)