I was enjoying a quiet evening sketching a few tattoo ideas for a friend/client. Suddenly, a local nightly news station breezed by an issue surrounding local ordinances and freedom of business. It entails a local governing body pushing for further regulation of current future tattoo palors. I had missed a few details and sought further information. I stumbled upon this article, which outlines both parties standing on this issue.
You’d have to question the legality of this ’subjective scrutiny’. I’ve returned to Maine only to rediscovered nothing has changed.
Brief Summary
Tattoo parlors could face added scrutiny
By Leslie Bridgers
Reporter-American
WESTBROOK (March 13, 2008): A new ordinance under consideration in Westbrook would prevent people who have committed crimes of “moral turpitude” and those who might be “likely to cause a breach of peace” from running tattoo parlors.
The proposed restrictions have the owner of the only tattoo parlor in the city feeling singled out.
The draft is based on the city’s massage therapy ordinance, which requires that massage therapists acquire a special license from the city to run their business. The ability to acquire and maintain a license, which would cost $100, is subject to several standards in the proposed ordinance.
The City Council last discussed the tattoo ordinance in January 2007 per a request by Paul McCarthy, the police chief at the time. Council President Brendan Rielly had asked that the issue be re-visited at a Committee of the Whole meeting Monday.
In the ordinance drafted, the list of crimes an applicant may not commit within 10 years of obtaining a tattoo license include drug offenses, sex offenses, assault, terrorizing and criminal threatening.
Once an application is received, the city is required to investigate the applicant’s business reputation and moral character “to the extent necessary to protect the public health, safety and welfare.”
The Committee of the Whole voted 4-2 to refer the ordinance to the City Council, with Councilors Drew Gattine and Aube opposed.
