Representatives of domestic abuse and sexual assault victim service providers, who could be the beneficiaries of a proposed 25 percent tax on Iowa adult bookstores, told legislators Wednesday they don’t want the money.

At its annual lobby day, the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a nonprofit agency representing domestic violence victim service providers throughout Iowa, aired its concerns about allocating tax revenue from the sale of pornography to services that care for abused and battered women. The Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault also raised its concerns at the lobby day.

Laurie Schipper, executive director of the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said her organization is not in opposition to the bill itself, only the allocation of the funds.

“Other businesses and industries are taxed, and it is OK to tax this industry as well,” she said. “We do believe that most pornography is demeaning, and it often depicts acts of violence and rape against women that create a culture in which women become vulnerable to acts of violence.”

Elizabeth Barnhill, executive director of the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said she agreed with Schipper in refusing the tax revenue.

Schipper said while it may seem confusing to some people why the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence would not want to benefit from the tax.

“The tax benefits would make it feel like we are more dependent on this industry, and we don’t want that relationship with them,” she said.

Ann Greenfield, executive director of the Assault Care Center Extending Shelter and Support in Ames, which is a member of the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said ACCESS supports the coalition’s position.

“It’s kind of a funny way to fund victim services, knowing what the public knows about pornography,” she said. “Some of it is violent and degrading to women. It depicts them as objects.”

Schipper said she believes legislators created the bill with good intentions and appreciates their attempt to raise money, but giving those funds to victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault is inappropriate.

“We certainly understand that Iowa desperately needs resources and that [adult bookstores are] a rapidly growing industry,” she said. “It’s just simply that we believe we cannot accept this pot of money because the industry itself leads to violence against women.”

Coming out in opposition of the funding was a difficult and painful decision for the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence to make, Schipper said.

“On one hand, we have the women who are being exploited and demeaned by the pornography industry, and on the other hand, we have women who are in desperate need of assistance,” she said.

“We had to weigh our decision very carefully. We’re in a difficult position with this because our programs are desperately in need of money.”

State domestic and sexual abuse programs have been funded out of the attorney general’s office through the Crime Victim Assistance Division. But in fiscal year 2003, the Iowa Legislature eliminated all state funding for those programs.

Greenfield said Attorney General Tom Miller has been using money from the Crime Victim Compensation Fund to try to make up for the shortfall, but there will not be enough money to continue funding victim services.