Tattoo bill sent back to committee

COLUMBIA - Horry County's House members contributed to a narrow, but serious, setback Thursday for the tattoo legalization bill.

The bill was sent back to its committee on a 55-53 vote. In three votes on whether the bill should move forward, all but Alan Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach, voted against tattooing. Rep. Liston Barfield, R-Aynor, did not vote.

Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, recalled his losing battle with a methadone clinic in debate on how much state control on parlors should be included in the bill.

Rep. Joe Brown, D-Columbia, chairman of the committee that handled the bill, said several supporters were absent and the measure will be brought back up for reconsideration on Tuesday.

If that doesn't work, the committee will take the bill back and work on it to see if some objections such as Viers' can be resolved, Brown said.

Supporters will be working on members over the weekend to persuade them to vote for the bill and make sure they are in the chamber when it comes up, he said.

Brown said lifting the ban on tattooing is a health issue. He fears the spread of hepatitis and other diseases from unregulated tattooing, which is known to take place in Myrtle Beach as well as the larger cities.

"It's a dirty situation that's going on," Brown said.

South Carolina and Oklahoma are the only states that still ban tattooing, and Oklahoma is also considering legalizing the practice.

During the floor debate, Viers said that simply because illegal tattooing is taking place is not enough reason to legalize it.

"There's a lot of people smoking marijuana out there," but that isn't a reason to legalize marijuana, Viers said. "Why should tattooing be different?"

"Because of health," said Rep. David Mack, D-North Charleston, who shepherded the bill through House committees after the Senate passed it.

There is nothing to prevent "multiple tattoo parlors from being put on every corner," Viers said.

The bill requires cities or counties to pass ordinances allowing tattoo parlors before any can open. Parlors may also be restricted to certain zones, as Myrtle Beach has already done in case tattooing was legalized.

But Viers said zoning appeals boards can override zoning rules, as Horry County's board did when it allowed a methadone clinic to open in his district over the objections of many residents.