Sound Politics: Clamping down on Piercing

February 07, 2006

Clamping down on Piercing

"Senate approves bill to set tattoo, piercing standards"

Three days after the House passed a measure to regulate body piercers, state senators unanimously approved a bill Monday that would clamp down on Washington's tattoo and piercing industry.

Clamp down on piercing, what an evocative metaphor. The Senate bill, by the way, is sponsored by Sen. Jim Kastama of Pierce County.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 07, 2006 09:15 AM | Email This

Comments

1. Too bad the Senate could do nothing but drag their feet on 6270 (shared parenting).

Chalk one up to the feminazi's for holding the entire legislature hostage and keeping children as the annuities they are for DSHS and single mommies everywhere.

Posted by: Andy on February 7, 2006 09:22 AM

2. The proposed legislation is interesting in that it does not address the most common source of spreading pathogens from tatooing. Most tatoo artists now do use disposal needs, sterilize their equipment, etc. However, many of them do not use new ink with each new client. The ink needs to be replaced as well with each new client, as it could be contaminated from the last one, even though the instruments are sterile.

Posted by: katomar on February 7, 2006 09:42 AM

3. katomar great point...

but you are amiss on how the system works...first they pass this bill and the infections and complaints continue...so in a few years they will have to put together a blue ribbon committee to look into this matter further...then they will have to go on a two week fact finding trip to tahiti ,birthplace off tattoo...this is how it is done in washington…

got ‘ya jane s.

Posted by: TACOMA PHLASH on February 7, 2006 11:35 AM

4. When you have something in place, such as the tattoo and piercing industry, that does an admirable job of identifying obvious losers… why mess with it?

Posted by: JDH on February 7, 2006 11:40 AM

5. A slap in the face for Pierce county.

Posted by: Huey on February 7, 2006 11:42 AM

6. Huey:
You mess with it because it is unregulated and a source of possible contamination unless certain health standard are met. Why do you think the FDA makes anyone who has had a tatoo wait one year before donating blood? Because of the possibility of blood-borne pathogens. Actually, I think tatoos can be kind of cool. I just wouldn't want one myself. However, any invasive procedure, which tatooing and piercings are, needs to be regulated.

Posted by: katomar on February 7, 2006 01:14 PM

7. Katomar...it was a little humor. Kind of a play on names... oh well never mind. Sometimes it is just not worth it.

Posted by: Huey on February 7, 2006 02:31 PM

8. Sorry, Huey, my bad. I meant my comment to be in response to JDH's question of "why mess with it"?

Posted by: katomar on February 7, 2006 04:00 PM

9. Whew, they finally got tough on some scofflaws in the "art" industry. Funny how they turned a cold shoulder to putting pervert relatives in the hoosgow for 25 years.

Posted by: PC on February 7, 2006 05:03 PM

10. so why wasn't this an emergency? Seems most everything else is.

Could someone draft an Initiative to strike the emergency clause which our current legislature is so intent upon abusing?

Posted by: mark on February 7, 2006 06:46 PM

11. Will all of my fellow P-Towners please join my effort to get Rep. Joyce McDonald elected to the Senate and have this dim bulb chucked out?

To quote SNL - Will Farrell as Robert Goulet - "You wouldn't hire a clown to fix a leak in the john would you?" Why do we sent clowns (Kastama & Morrell) to represent us in Olympia?

Posted by: T.J. on February 7, 2006 10:56 PM

12. FYI

Just to let everyone know; Sen. Jim Kastama (D-Puyallup) is also the Chairman of the Senate Committee responsible for "Election Reform"!!!

I think we all know what a bang-up job he is doing with that.

Posted by: T.J. on February 7, 2006 10:59 PM

13. Kastama is not a bad guy, for a D.

Remember that the industry asked for this one, as a way to drive out the bad guys. Now, I am no fan of more laws, but it is an effective way to address an important public health issue.

Tats are now mainstream, and I would trust that folks would check out their purveyors, but for those who don't, this could be helpful.

Please don't throw rocks at me for this ONE concession to the Nanny State.

The Geezer

Posted by: The Geezer on February 8, 2006 08:16 AM