Macon council OKs new massage requirements

The city of Macon is one step away from requiring a state license for businesses offering massage. City Council approved the measure 11—1.

Councilman James Timley was the lone voice of opposition, and council members Nancy White, Charles Jones and Ed DeFore were not present for the vote.

Before the meeting, DeFore said he would be absent because of health problems.

The lead sponsor of the measure, Councilman Erick Erickson, said he was relieved to see the new rules approved.

“This has been two years in the making,” Erickson said, noting that the council has heard support from law enforcement and the public. Because the measure puts the emphasis on business license enforcement, it will free up Macon police to focus on other, more serious crimes, he said.

The measure requires businesses offering “massage for hire” — defined broadly in the ordinance as “touching, rubbing, probing, scrubbing, bathing, cleaning, rinsing” — to have a massage therapy license for its employees from the Secretary of State’s Office before obtaining a city business license. It goes into effect 90 days after the mayor signs it into law. The mayor’s signature would be the final step in getting the measure approved.

Timley said he voted against the measure because it infringes on people’s rights to enjoy their lifestyle.

“This is not about massage parlors. This is about the moral police and the religious fanatics,” he said. “What we do over and over in this community is we try to legislate morality. I resent the fact that some people try to tell other people how to live.”