Virginia Lawmaker Wants Porn Declared A Public Health Hazard

Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William, holds up a history of debates on constitutional amendments, as he defends legislation by Del. C. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, HB706, the bill relating to members of the Gener... Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William, holds up a history of debates on constitutional amendments, as he defends legislation by Del. C. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, HB706, the bill relating to members of the General Assembly defending the laws of the Commonwealth when the Virginia Attorney General does not, during the floor session of the Virginia House of Delegates chamber at the State Capitol in Richmond, Va., Friday, Jan. 31, 2014. (AP Photo/Richmond Times-Dispatch, Bob Brown) MORE LESS
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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A Virginia state lawmaker wants to have pornography declared a public health hazard, calling it a moral scourge that leads to infidelity, the “hypersexualization of teenagers” and the objectification of women.

The Washington Post (http://wapo.st/2iMEP29) reports that Del. Robert G. Marshall of Prince William County has proposed a resolution stating that pornography leads to many social problems and that the General Assembly needs to address it. The legislature’s annual session convenes Jan. 11.

The resolution does not call for a ban but rather urges lawmakers to recognize the need for education and research to address what Marshall called an epidemic.

He says such a declaration could help pave the way for future limits, similar to how a 1964 federal government report linking cigarettes to disease spurred future restrictions.

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Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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