Lawmakers adjourned for the year without passing a bill which set state standards for body piercing businesses. The bill would have made it more difficult — and safer — for kids to get a part of their body pierced. Written parental consent would have been required before any part of a minor’s body could be pierced — other than the ear. Representative Teresa Garman of rural Ames sponsored the bill at the urging of constituents. Their daughter had her tongue pierced and it got infected..Representative Polly Bukta of Clinton heard from constituents, too. She says one young person had her navel pierced and she nearly died from infection caused by a dirty needle.The bill set minimum standards of cleanliness for establishments which perform body piercing. Representative Minnette Doderer of Iowa City said it’s important to ensure the piercing needles are clean.Some republicans don’t like the bill because it raised a fee to cover the expense of state inspections for body piercing businesses.
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