Kirsten Kolpitcke with the League of California Cities says prostitution at massage parlors has skyrocketed since a non-profit organization started running a voluntary certification program in 2009. She says that’s no surprise given who is on its board.
“The majority of which are either people who own a massage establishment or who represent an association of a massage organization,” says Kolpitcke.
Cities and counties oversaw massage parlors through zoning and other local codes before the California Massage Therapy Council took over the voluntary certification program in 2009. The voluntary program is scheduled to sunset in 2015. Critics say local control should then return and the state should take over certification.
Assemblymember Jimmy Gomez says the program allowing the massage parlor industry to police itself has failed and should be allowed to sunset as scheduled next year.
“There is an overwhelming need to figure out how to control the over-proliferation of illicit massage parlors through the entire state of California,” Gomez says.
The Massage Therapy Council, the organization that certifies massage therapists, says it would like to see the current program retained, but with better coordination with local agencies.
Related Stories
California Campaign Finance Regulator Resigns Before Election
May 30, 2018Fair Political Practices Commission chairperson Jodi Remke announced Tuesday that she will step down on Friday. It follows months of acrimony with other commissioners.
California Senator Tony Mendoza Resigns After Sexual Harassment Investigation, But Says He'll Run For Re-Election
February 22, 2018His resignation followed an outside investigation, which found that Mendoza likely engaged in "flirtatious or sexually suggestive" behavior with six different women, including former staffers and fellows. The allegations date back to 2007.
Report: California Senator Tony Mendoza ‘More Likely Than Not’ Made Sexual Advances Toward Six Women
February 20, 2018A summary of the Senate’s outside investigation comes after the chamber’s Rules Committee met in closed session to discuss Mendoza’s fate for the second weekday in a row.
Window For Sexual Harassment Complaints Could Widen Under New Bills
January 18, 2018New legislative efforts supporting the “Me Too” anti-harassment movement could change the reporting process for victims filing complaints.
Women In Calif. Politics Share What They'd Like To See Change
October 26, 2017Women in California politics, protesting sexual harassment and abuse at the Capitol, distrust the response from legislative leaders.
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
