Indecency Bill Waits For Congress

INDECENCY BILL WAITS FOR CONGRESS
[SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter, AUTHOR: Brooks Boliek]
Both the House and the Senate have passed versions of bills that would raise the amount of fines on broadcasters who air indecent programming. While there is sentiment among some key House members to push for their version of the bill, the House majority leader, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) said Thursday that the House will take up the Senate's version of broadcast indecency legislation during the first week in June, when the House returns. The decision comes as lawmakers realize that the Senate version, authored by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) has the best chance of winning final approval as the legislative workdays dwindle. Congress is scheduled to adjourn Oct. 6, but there are several pre-election recesses and holidays that intervene, making time the enemy of any legislative effort. Senators have balked at several provisions in the House bill, including the increase in fines for individuals and the three-strikes provision. While Uptown's legislation won quick approval by the House after the Janet Jackson breast-baring incident during the 2004 Super Bowl, it ran into trouble in the Senate as lawmakers there worried about overreaching. Eventually, under pressure from conservative and Christian activists, the Senate leadership won approval of Brownback's bill. The decision by the House to agree to the Senate bill is a realization that the tougher House bill likely would fail to pass in the Senate. That, and agreement by pressure groups pushing the legislation, makes approval of the bill in June likely.
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