Butt crack bill bombs in Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE, La., May 26 (UPI) -- Louisiana lawmakers have rejected a bill that would have outlawed low-riding pants that expose underwear and more.

Rep. Derrick Shepherd, D-Marrero, needed 53 votes to pass; it drew support from 39 lawmakers and opposition from 54, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported Wednesday.

"It would be unenforceable," Rep. Danny Martiny, R-Kenner, said Tuesday. "At the end of the day, we as a body need to figure out what will happen if we pass this bill. You talk about a slippery slope."

The bill would have made it illegal to wear in public any clothing that exposes underwear, pubic hair, the genital area or the cleft of the buttocks.

The proposed law would not apply to swimsuits, clothes worn in homes or at fashion shows or "clothing worn by a person in the practice of their legal profession or trade," such as strippers.

Violators would have faced a maximum fine of $175, three eight-hour days of community service or both.