Sex toys still illegal in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Sex toys are still illegal in Alabama, at least as far as the Alabama legislature is concerned.

Legislators voted against a bill Tuesday that would have removed a ban on sexual devices, such as vibrators, from the state's obscenity law. The ban on sexual devices was added at the last minute when the obscenity law passed the legislature in 1998.

A federal judge in Birmingham has twice ruled that the ban is unconstitutional. The first ruling was overturned by the 11th circuit court of appeals and the second ruling has been appealed.

The sponsor of the bill, Representative John Rogers (D--Birmingham) said because of the court ruling, the obscenity law is unenforceable as long as it contains the ban on sex toys.

"All this does is make our obscenity law unconstitutional," Rogers said.

With little serious discussion, the House voted 37-28 to leave the sex toys ban in state law, leaving Rogers standing at the microphone shaking his head.

"What you just did is make our obscenity law illegal. You voted for obscenity," Rogers shouted at lawmakers.