Prostitution Bill

By: Noelani Boise

House bill #234 was debated in the Health
and Human Resources House Committee at
10:25, Monday. The bill proposed that any
person over the age of 18 in the State of Mon-
tana “will be able to sell sexual services if
they choose so by their own free will”. The
committee room was bustling with legisla-
tures, pages, reporters, and supervisors as
Committee Chair Breaden Fitzgerald directed
debate on the bill. 2 amendments were made
to the bill during the short, allotted docket
time. Heated debate occurred as the bill was
processed by proponents and opponents.
One man, Louis Kronenberger, said “Let the
light of the law fall upon prostitution”. Another
asked if it would be considered shoplifting or
rape if the client does not pay?

An interview with House member Mederious
Babb, who stormed from the room in outrage,
highlights the opponents’ arguments against
the bill. She felt that the bill as not “morally
right” and she was worried that it would wors-
en the issue of STD’s. She also said that the bill
did noting to stimulate the economy, and that
the money collected as tax revenue was not
helping anything, though she did not specify
what she would like the money to fund. Her
concluding statement was that “it is not right
to pay people to have sexual intercourse".
The bill passed 11-7. A supervisor watching
from the corner was overheard saying, “it is
becoming more and more clear why there are
age requirements for our legislatures”.