“Stripped of Funds”

Strip clubs in Texas are fighting a $5-per-customer “pole tax” by claiming it violates free speech. State officials say that speech and communication aren’t part of the equation, but club owners argue that in their all-nude establishments, patrons can sometimes lip-read.

The legislature doesn’t want to repeal the strip-club tax, knowing that is can be a sticky issue.

If the court doesn’t rule on the tax, the whole thing may land in the voters’ laps.

Critics say the tax won’t affect strippers’ income, and the job is easy anyway. But the dancers say, making a living this way really is a grind.