Archive: February 2021

City Posed to Restrict Massage Businesses Hoping to End Human Trafficking

3 February 2021
Dennis Pyburn
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Will adding to regulations for businesses who offer massage services help curb illegal human trafficking and prostitution?

The Billings City Council is moving forward with a proposal to impose  more regulations on businesses that provide massage therapy, including an additional business license.

The crackdown is hoped to weed out establishments that pose as legitimate massage therapists as cover for human trafficking and prostitution. The approach uses city code enforcement to stop criminal activity where criminal law enforcement has failed, leaving Billings as having the most incidents of human trafficking of any city in the state.

Discussion about the issue drug the Billings City Council into a long late-hour work session last week. In the end, after listening to dozens and dozens of phone calls, the council acted to place the matter on a formal agenda at some point in the future.

Many legitimate massage therapy businesses objected to being used in the strategy, and expressed as much during the virtual meeting, on phone calls for some two hours. Some of the calls were from massage therapists and others who supported the proposal out of concern about human trafficking.

The proposed regulations place much of the onus of trying to rein in human trafficking — which quite often includes prostitution rings – upon how massage therapy businesses will have to operate in order to avoid being penalized. They will also be required to purchase an additional business license beyond that which they get from the state.

The city will require an additional business license imposing a $55 fee, fingerprinting and background checks for business owners. There are also stipulations regarding how the businesses should function including the requirements for dress, of keeping doors unlocked, keeping regular business hours, having interiors well lighted and high visibility through windows. Violations of these practices impose stiff fines and imprisonment.

Despite many of the callers objecting to the city’s approach, no one disputed the fact that Billings faces a very serious problem because of human trafficking. An FBI Special Agent, Brandon Walter, spoke to the council, saying that about half of Billings’ human trafficking problems stem from perpetrators fronting as massage therapists. Billings has more of a problem with human trafficking more than any other Montana city, and the city has generated a reputation, that extends far beyond the region, as being lax in regard to enforcement, which tends to attract more criminals.

There were many calls from supporters of the heightened regulations saying that they believe what was being required of massage therapists isn’t so onerous and well worth the effort to save the victims of human trafficking.

Many of the massage therapists, however, said they believe the issue is a bigger one for the city and should be addressed on a broader scale rather than focusing on their industry. Many were indignant for having been told by some city officials that they just needed to “take one for the team.”

It’s a matter for law enforcement, not for code enforcement, it was stated.

Enforcement of the regulations will be complaint -driven with code enforcement officers responding to calls. The city lacks the staffing to initiate investigations.

It was stated that the hope is that enforcing the codes will “tip over” into criminal charges.

A couple of callers said that reports from massage therapists in other communities who have followed a similar approach say that it didn’t work to curb the criminal activity. The task force that has worked on developing the new regulation reported just the opposite from the cities they said they had contacted.

City Administrator Chris Kukulski pointed out that the benefit of making it a code enforcement issue that relies upon complaints from citizens is a low cost approach for the city, which struggles with having enough funding to hire the needed law enforcement.

Many of those calling into the virtual meeting voiced indignation at being lumped in with the activities of criminals. They object to being categorized as “adult entertainment” or called “parlors” rather than a health care service or provider, which is how the industry sees itself.

City Posed to Restrict Massage Businesses Hoping to End Human Trafficking

3 February 2021
Dennis Pyburn
No comments

Will adding to regulations for businesses who offer massage services help curb illegal human trafficking and prostitution?

The Billings City Council is moving forward with a proposal to impose  more regulations on businesses that provide massage therapy, including an additional business license.

The crackdown is hoped to weed out establishments that pose as legitimate massage therapists as cover for human trafficking and prostitution. The approach uses city code enforcement to stop criminal activity where criminal law enforcement has failed, leaving Billings as having the most incidents of human trafficking of any city in the state.

Discussion about the issue drug the Billings City Council into a long late-hour work session last week. In the end, after listening to dozens and dozens of phone calls, the council acted to place the matter on a formal agenda at some point in the future.

Many legitimate massage therapy businesses objected to being used in the strategy, and expressed as much during the virtual meeting, on phone calls for some two hours. Some of the calls were from massage therapists and others who supported the proposal out of concern about human trafficking.

The proposed regulations place much of the onus of trying to rein in human trafficking — which quite often includes prostitution rings – upon how massage therapy businesses will have to operate in order to avoid being penalized. They will also be required to purchase an additional business license beyond that which they get from the state.

The city will require an additional business license imposing a $55 fee, fingerprinting and background checks for business owners. There are also stipulations regarding how the businesses should function including the requirements for dress, of keeping doors unlocked, keeping regular business hours, having interiors well lighted and high visibility through windows. Violations of these practices impose stiff fines and imprisonment.

Despite many of the callers objecting to the city’s approach, no one disputed the fact that Billings faces a very serious problem because of human trafficking. An FBI Special Agent, Brandon Walter, spoke to the council, saying that about half of Billings’ human trafficking problems stem from perpetrators fronting as massage therapists. Billings has more of a problem with human trafficking more than any other Montana city, and the city has generated a reputation, that extends far beyond the region, as being lax in regard to enforcement, which tends to attract more criminals.

There were many calls from supporters of the heightened regulations saying that they believe what was being required of massage therapists isn’t so onerous and well worth the effort to save the victims of human trafficking.

Many of the massage therapists, however, said they believe the issue is a bigger one for the city and should be addressed on a broader scale rather than focusing on their industry. Many were indignant for having been told by some city officials that they just needed to “take one for the team.”

It’s a matter for law enforcement, not for code enforcement, it was stated.

Enforcement of the regulations will be complaint -driven with code enforcement officers responding to calls. The city lacks the staffing to initiate investigations.

It was stated that the hope is that enforcing the codes will “tip over” into criminal charges.

A couple of callers said that reports from massage therapists in other communities who have followed a similar approach say that it didn’t work to curb the criminal activity. The task force that has worked on developing the new regulation reported just the opposite from the cities they said they had contacted.

City Administrator Chris Kukulski pointed out that the benefit of making it a code enforcement issue that relies upon complaints from citizens is a low cost approach for the city, which struggles with having enough funding to hire the needed law enforcement.

Many of those calling into the virtual meeting voiced indignation at being lumped in with the activities of criminals. They object to being categorized as “adult entertainment” or called “parlors” rather than a health care service or provider, which is how the industry sees itself.

Castle Arms Opens in Lockwood

3 February 2021
Evelyn Pyburn
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Returning home to Billings, after serving five years in the Marine Corp, Seth Stovall couldn’t find a job he really liked. Since he has always been interested in guns and enjoys every aspect of learning about them — shooting for sport and recreation, as well as the training he had in the military – Stovall has opened a gun store in Lockwood.

The new store, called Castle Arms, is located at 2750 Old Hardin Road, Ste. D, a strip mall at the corner of Johnson Lane and Old Hardin Road.

“I have grown up with guns,” he said – hunting as a youth and  “learning a lot in the military.” His experience gives him a lot of insight and knowledge about guns. And, he adds, “I completely respect the second amendment.”

The store will specialize in AR style (Armalite Rifle) guns, as well as other guns and fire arm accessories. Starting a retail gun store at a time when fire arms and ammunition are in high demand and in short supply is something of a “slow process”, but Stovall said that it is growing and distributors are supportive and he expects to expand.

Hours of the business are from 10 am to 6 pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

Stovall attended Shepherd High School and attended Rocky Mountain College, getting a degree in information technology.

Stovall expressed his gratitude to everyone who has helped him launch his new business.

Boots on the Hill – Ag Scrutinizes Bills

3 February 2021
Press Room
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By Nicole Rolf and Rachel Cone, Montana Farm Bureau

With more than 3,000 bill draft requests filed, just a few over 300 have been introduced in the 2021 Montana Legislature so far. This means much of our time now is spent analyzing, researching, and talking to sponsors and agencies here in Helena to better understand the intent and ramifications of potential bills before they’re heard in committee. We work proactively to suggest improvements, ask for changes, and help ensure that when and if a bill is introduced, it will be positive for Montana’s agriculture industry.

We continue to get to know our state’s new administration. This week, we met with a number of Governor Greg Gianforte’s key staff members, including policy advisors Glenn Oppel and Michael Freeman and attorney Rachel Meredith. We appreciate that Gianforte’s team reached out to us for this meeting, seeking input from Montana’s agriculture organizations on the issues that matter most to our state’s No. 1 industry.

Our conversation covered an array of important topics that impact our state’s farmers and ranchers, including exempt wells, wild bison, meat processing capacity and the state’s new veterinary diagnostic lab. These executive staff members were helpful and informative. They made it clear that this administration will support private property rights, the growth of value-added agriculture in our state, and the proposal put forward by the Department of Livestock to build a new Veterinary Diagnostic Lab. This is good news for farmers, ranchers, and the population at large.

The Montana Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory provides disease diagnostic support to veterinarians, livestock producers, companion animal owners, and the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, as well as many other state and federal agencies. The laboratory supports the Department of Livestock’s Animal Health Division and Milk & Egg Bureau, includes the State Central Milk Laboratory and helps protect public health by testing for zoonotic diseases.

It’s clear we need a new lab to provide the services that livestock producers and the public in general needs to ensure a safe, wholesome food supply and healthy human and animal populations. The Department of Livestock has worked hard to develop a funding proposal that is equal parts privately funded by rancher and farmer per capita fees and publicly funded with General Funds appropriations.

Funding for the new Diagnostic Lab is included in House Bill 14, which is currently working its way through the Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Long-Range Planning. HB 14 also includes funding for a new wool lab and our state’s agriculture experiment stations, which Montana Farm Bureau members also support. We’ll share more updates throughout the session as this appropriations bill makes it way to the final budget. 

While there is a bevy of bills on our radar, we have testified on 14 that Montana Farm Bureau members have specific policy directive on. Here are two of the many we testified on this week:

Senate Bill 55: Revise the Process for Water Right Ownership Updates, sponsored by Sen. Jill Cohenour (D), SD 42, hearing in Senate Natural Resources Committee.

The Water Policy Interim Committee was busy in the time leading up to this legislative session, and this bill is the result of that work. First, some background: This is a joint, bi-partisan committee that studies water quality and quantity issues between sessions and provides suggested legislation to the committees. It’s often referred to by its acronym, WPIC, which sounds a lot like “Whippic” when pronounced to those not as familiar with legislative lingo. 

Senate Bill 55 amends the process for water right ownership updates and creates a certification process to resolve ownership disputes. If passed, this legislation would more precisely require the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to update its records of water right ownership within 30 days of receiving notification regarding a change in water right holdings. It is the personal responsibility of a property buyer and seller to file the proper paperwork concerning a transfer of water rights, and this legislation requires the DNRC to keep those records up to date and accurate, which is an obvious necessity.  

House Bill 142: Generally Revise Hemp Laws, sponsored by Rep. Joshua Kassmier (R), HD 27.

Montana is one of the nation’s largest hemp producing states. Hemp growers in Montana currently operate under the guidance of a pilot program launched in the state in 2014. Hemp is a highly regulated product in a quickly evolving market. It’s a crop that many farmers in Montana have been excited to add to their cropping rotations.

This bill generally revises current Montana hemp laws to comply with federal hemp laws, and it allows the Montana Department of Agriculture the rule making authority it needs to adhere to ever-evolving federal laws or regulations. This bill allows our Department of Agriculture to keep our state’s hemp program current so that our farmers can be assured they are complying with a consistent set of state and federal guidelines, ensuring the long-term success of the program.