New Law Exempts Existing St. Helena Strip Clubs

GREENSBURG, La. (AP) — The St. Helena Parish Police Jury voted 4-2 to exempt existing sexually oriented businesses from new ordinances regulating such establishments in the parish.

The Police Jury enacted ordinances June 11 to control and regulate sexually oriented businesses in St. Helena and passed a resolution June 25 exempting existing businesses from the ordinances.

Police Jury attorney Clifton Speed told the jurors that the resolution had no actual legal power, so jurors had to formally introduce an ordinance at its Sept. 24 meeting before voting on it Tuesday.

The strip club furor in St. Helena Parish came after residents complained about the two clubs — the Oak Ridge Lounge in Pine Grove and The Mansion near Montpelier — and have lobbied to have them shut down.