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Proliferation of Massage Parlors in South Pasadena

  GREAT NEWS: Governor Brown has signed AB1147 and the right to regulate land use regarding massage parlors will be returned to cities.   This legislation, which WISPPA and our City have been advocating allows cities to regain their rights to regulate massage parlors as they do any other use.  Most importantly it closes the loop hole that has allowed illicit massage and human trafficking to flourish in communities with impunity. 
WISPPA thanks the following people for their commitment and hard work on this issue:  Lisa Pendleton, Kay Mouradian, Lisa Boyd - Moms For Family and Community, Mary Urquhart, South Pasadena Councilwoman and former Mayor Marina Khubesrian, South Pasadena City Manager Sergio Gonzales, Assembly member Chris Holden, Kirstin Kolpitcke (the League of California Cities).
Lela Bissner and Lisa Pendleton sent a letter to the Review to acknowledge the collective effort to pass the new massage parlor law. They also touched upon the history of this effort and WISPPA's role.  In addition to Lisa Pendleton, WISPPA is  also very grateful to Kay Mouradian and  Mary Urquhart for their involvement early on and many hours of hard work on this issue.  And lastly, many thanks to the entire membership for writing letters and staying on top of the issue.  It truly was a collective effort.
More info on this historic legislation
WISPPA Letter to the Governor
WISPPA  Letter of Support to Senator De Leon
Facts and Statistics
Current California Laws

WISPPA has been in the forefront of addressing this problem in our community.  WISPPA has been deeply concerned about the over proliferation of massage parlors in our community and the potential for illicit activities when the City has no legislative ability to control these establishments.  WISPPA has been working for several years to try to gain back  the land use rights of our City to regulate these establishments but due to an unprecedented State law, backed by the California Massage Therapy Council lobby, our City as well as others in the State are legally unable to regulate massage parlors.  This problem not only creates a blight for our City and others, it can be an unfortunate setting for prostitution and human trafficking right in our own community.
Since 2009 the number of massage parlors in South Pasadena have increased from 7 – 19 with at least 6 of these to have known illicit activities occurring right on our main streets and we are not alone as the problem is state wide.  According to the City of Los Angeles this law has created loopholes that have left them powerless to regulate massage establishments.  According to Capt. Kelly Mulldorfer, a vice commander at the Los Angeles Police Department, they estimate that the city of Los Angeles has more than 400 storefront massage businesses suspected of engaging in prostitution at the same time they pose as legitimate certified massage therapy operations.
See the excellent (8/4/14) editorial in the San Francisco Chronicle 
Click here for SF Chronicle Article
*****************  AB 1147  History *****************
AB1147 (with amendments) was authored by Assembly members Bonilla, Holden and Gomez to give cities their rights back to regulate massage parlors and stop prostitution and human trafficking on our main streets. It was heard by the Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee on June 23.  The committee voted in favor of the bill and it continued through the legislative process and has now passed both houses of the State Legislature.  Click on the button below to see the hearing on "youtube".
View hearing - youtube

Picture
“WISPPA and South Pasadena participated in massage parlor hearings
in Sacramento, March 10, 2014.
 
Pictured center is  State Assembly Member Jimmy Gomez with South Pasadena Mayor, Dr. Marina  Khubesrian to the left, second row back and to the right are WISPPA members  Lisa Boyd (Moms for Family and Community) and Lisa Pendleton representing  WISPPA.  For  more information on the hearing click on the link below:

http://www.cacities.org/Top/News/News-Articles/2014/March/Legislators,-Mayors,-Council-Members-and-Law-Enfor



Also check out the California League of Cities website www.cacities.org under Hot Issues  – Massage  Regulation for the latest information on this issue and ways you can help.
For more information on this issue from a recent Webinar the California League of Cities conducted, click the button at the  right.  This presentation is an excellent summary of the history of massage regulation,  problems and solutions, and what is happening in other cities. 
Presentation

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