WDET News
- Sheila Cockrel Defends Last Week's Walkout
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Nov 20, 2009Metro Desk
Detroit City Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel defended her decision to walk out of last week’s special council meeting.
At today’s session, Cockrel explained that she wasn’t given information on the controversial strip club ordinance until she sat down at the table and was then asked to vote on it.
After looking at the ordinance change, Cockrel says it would be damaging to the City of Detroit.
“And that any conversation about limiting constitutionally protected behavior, driving it underground, creating additional criminal activities that will have to be regulated by a strapped police department because of the personal, moral values which people a legitimate and total right to have is a fundamental violation for me of our fiduciary obligations.”
Cockrel says the adult entertainment industry in the city employs about 7,000 people and pays $3 million in taxes annually.
Cockrel says the expert attorney called forward by Council’s Research and Analysis division to talk about the proposed ordinance changes is backed by a conservative Christian Right group called that has lead similar efforts in other cities.
The ordinance died at today’s final scheduled council meeting of the year since it failed to garner enough votes.