Tulsa World: Tattoo shops hold off health department

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Tattoo shops hold off health department

By World Capitol Bureau
Published: 3/14/2007 3:37 PM
Last Modified: 3/14/2007 3:37 PM

OKLAHOMA CITY - An Oklahoma County judge on Wednesday granted a temporary injunction that prevents the Oklahoma Health Department from enforcing a requirement that tattoo shops secure a $100,000 surety bond.

Tattoo shop owners filed suit in February, saying the rule is expensive and unfair, and that other businesses don't have to secure such bonds, which do nothing to protect public health. Shop owners also question a requirement that prohibits them from operating within 1,000 feet of a church, school or playground, even though strip clubs must stay only 500 feet away.

"These people are working very hard to run legal, legitimate businesses, despite the fact that they would make more money doing it on the black market, without having to pay taxes and overhead," said Jaye Mendros, an Oklahoma City attorney who represents 11 tattoo shops statewide.

District Judge Daniel Owens granted the temporary injunction, but did not rule on the distance requirement. He is scheduled to address both rules May 1. Kevin Pipes, Oklahoma Health Department chief of policy, said the agency will comply with the ruling.

"We have been aware of how difficult the bond is to obtain," Pipes said.

Oklahoma became the last state to legalize tattooing in November 2006. By World Capitol Bureau

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