Supporters say it will protect children.

Opponents believe it will hurt drag performers.

A new bill before state lawmakers would regulate adult oriented businesses and sexually explicit conduct.

But some say similar laws are already on the books.

Our Clayton Dalton brings you this report as we continue tonight's legislative update.

Kentucky state senators took their first step in advancing a bill that regulates adult oriented businesses like pornographic bookstores and theaters.

The bill defines adult oriented businesses to mean an adult arcade, adult bookstore or video store.

Adult cabaret.

Adult theater or any establishment that regularly hosts any performance involving sexual conduct that is defined in the bill.

The bill restricts these types of businesses from operating within 933 feet or about one city block from places frequented by children and families.

Like K through 12 schools, parks, playgrounds and churches.

The bill includes sexually explicit drag shows in this prohibition.

The newest version of the bill does not regulate drag shows without sexual conduct, including controversial drag programs like Drag story hours at public libraries and drag shows at the park.

So if we're if we're just.

Delineating.

Nudity and sexually explicit, why don't we just put adult cabaret?

Why do we have to include drag?

Okay.

I will say because now we have two forms of drag.

That one is in the public sector where they're talking to they're going to drag Queen story hour.

They're not performing sexually there.

But you don't want that.

That's not what this bill does.

It doesn't limit that.

It would limit a sexual performance from going into the library.

So we have two distinctions of drag.

Now, we don't have any other distinction in the adult oriented businesses that no other type of performance is trying to go into a public sector in front of children.

We have drag is.

So I want to make sure we define that sexually explicit performances stay in this context.

And these are the ones that are we're trying to keep minors away from.

One drag performer who testified against the bill says singling out drag is wrong.

So this bill is being touted as a way to keep children away from sexually explicit material.

And I think if we define what sexually explicit means, we don't then have to define drag.

Why have we not defined all dance forms and described which are in which are not sexually explicit?

Why don't we define what standup comedy is?

So then we can decide what is sexually explicit and what isn't.

The idea is we need to target drag to make it seem like it is nefarious, like it is sneaky, like it is associated with disease and destruction and pestilence.

The fact that we are naming drag, there's a clear thing they're trying to do to make drag seem that always.

Senator Tickner says that Kentucky can and should regulate sexually explicit businesses, much like it does other industries.

We regulate and monitor insurance, horse racing, the financial industry.

Alcohol.

Real estate.

The list is long.

The intent of this bill is to set a regulation around this industry to ensure we are protecting communities and minors within those communities from exposure that may lead to negative adverse secondary effects.

The bill draws associations between adult oriented businesses and human trafficking, prostitution and drug use, among others.

The bill passed along party lines and now heads to Kentucky's upper chamber, the state Senate.

For kentucky edition, I'm Clayton dalton.

Thank you, clayton.

Lawmakers considered a similar bill last year, but it did not pass.