Adult business owners in Scottsdale, Ariz. are celebrating their courthouse victory in altering a city ordinance that had previously been detrimental to the success of their partial-nudity strip clubs. The city's new ordinance overturns a handful of “bad-for-business” restrictions and replaces them with rules to keep the businesses and the city happy.

The conflict began with a strict policy change in 2005 that implemented a legal requirement of a 4-foot distance between the dancers and the patrons at all times. In turn, this change also made lap dances illegal. This sparked much objection from the city's two strip clubs, Babe's Cabaret and Skin Cabaret.

The controversy that brought the strip club happenings to the attention of the city occurred when adult star Jenna Jameson acquired partial ownership of Babe's Cabaret. The sudden association with fame brought unfavorable attention from the authorities and led to citations for management and dancers. In order to fight back, the club owners teamed with First Amendment lawyer Paul Cambria to bring the issue before voters.

Upon hearing the results of the vote (52 percent of the Scottsdale voters sided with the clubs), the council overturned the rules agreed upon in 2005. In their place, new restrictions have been set. Lap dances are permissible as long as the dancer is wearing a g-string and pasties and there are terms set to regulate the amount of physical contact dancers have with the patrons. It was also voted that all interaction between customers and dancers must be viewed either by a manager or on closed circuit video.

Scottsdale Mayor Mary Manross has gotten behind the changes in an effort to present a unified city government. Manross was a major force in the 2005 decision but feels that the voters and council have made a choice and she must stand by it regardless of her personal opposition.