HARRISBURG -- Allegheny County officials just slapped a 10 percent tax on the sale of alcoholic drinks in the county.

Now, state Sen. Jane Orie is thinking about imposing a new 10 percent tax on "sexually oriented businesses,'' including escort services, in the whole state.

She said she'll ask her colleagues to have the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee do a study on how much money could be raised by an "excise tax'' on adult businesses, such as stores that sell X-rated movies, publications and other erotic materials, as well as companies that provide female "escorts'' for customers and companies that offer "massages.''

"There are clearly adverse effects of adult businesses on the communities in which they are located,'' Ms. Orie said. "Many states and communities are exploring taxes on these establishments to offset (the cost of dealing with) these negative impacts.''

She said Utah passed a law in 2004 imposing a 10 percent tax on the price of admission and the sale of food and drink at "sexually oriented businesses,'' and a 10 percent tax on escort services. She said Texas has a new law requiring a $5 admission fee to adult-oriented businesses. That money goes to state programs for sexual assault prevention and response programs.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.