Chris O'Meara. Why does the city want to charge these businesses a licensing fee? Like a number of fees the city has placed on businesses in Jackson, the undecided annual cost for owners of businesses such as strip clubs, massage parlors and adult novelty stores would go toward the costs associated with inspecting those businesses for signs of human trafficking.
Why just strip clubs, massage parlors and adult stores? City and county officials claim these places of business are ripe for human sex and labor trafficking in the area. Is human trafficking even that big of an issue? It's hard to say. County Prosecutor Jerry Jarzynka said there haven't been any cases or convictions in the last three years , but that's because there isn't a set of laws that give law enforcement the tools they need to keep tabs on trafficking in the area.
What is human trafficking? Human trafficking is the act of taking advantage of employees by paying them little to no wages — either for sexual acts, simply labor or both. What would these laws look like? Where do the laws stand? The city is currently running them through legal counsel and will likely take up a vote on them in the coming months. What do business owners think? They're not happy. Is anyone else championing initiatives like this one in Jackson?
Yeah, all the way up to federal representatives. Tim Walberg, who represents Jackson County in the 7th District, voted for a package of bills to strengthen laws already on the books to combat human trafficking. Can proponents point to any statistics or cases in the area? Jarzynka couldn't point to any cases or convictions in Jackson County, but he says that's a symptom of having laws and regulations that aren't stringent enough. A state study by Attorney General Bill Schuette points to a need for stronger human trafficking laws and a way for officials to keep track of possible violations.
Are there any hard numbers to back up the fact that this is an "issue"? Has anything been done on a state level to highlight human trafficking?
