ABQ to More Heavily Regulate Strip Clubs

Albuquerque city councilors late Monday adopted a host of new regulations for strip clubs aimed at discouraging human trafficking, prostitution and other crimes.

The ordinance sets out record-keeping requirements on the identity of performers and calls for signs to be posted telling employees how to report human trafficking.

It also prohibits “adult cabaret entertainment” in private areas of the club that aren’t open and visible to others.

The proposal was co-sponsored by Dan Lewis, Isaac Benton and Debbie O’Malley. It passed 7-2, with Rey Garduno and Trudy Jones voting “no.” (Not often you see those two vote together!)

Councilors also adopted some anti-spice legislation that deals with synthetic drugs. They postponed for two weeks a decision on the BioPark fee hike.

I’ll have more on all of this in tomorrow’s paper.