Battle To Legalize Prostitution Going on in Baton Rouge

A Louisiana lawmaker is proposing making prostitution legal in Louisiana.

Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, says if sex work was removed from the state's criminal code, it would make the practice safer. She said it would mark the line between humans being sex trafficked and those who are intentionally engaging in the act. Landry also said victims and people who know about sex trafficking are afraid to come to law enforcement for the fear of being arrested.

Landry argues that protection is used for evidence in sex crimes, so most people who engage in the act are less likely to use protection, which creates a public health risk in spreading diseases. Another point in her argument is that prostitutes are just trying to make a living, and government shouldn't deny them of that as long as both parties are of age and the sex is consensual.

Representative Landry said if the bill makes it through the Louisiana legislature and becomes law, she will file a bill next year that will wipe the criminal records of prostitutes clean.

The next Louisiana legislative session begins on April 12.