People won't be putting their hands on alcoholic beverages at the state fair or on dancers at Ohio's strip clubs, Gov. Ted Strickland decided yesterday.

In separate actions, Strickland decided to allow a controversial bill imposing new restrictions on strip clubs to become law without his signature and said he won't support a change in policy to allow the sale of alcohol at the state fair.

Strickland determined the fate of the strip-club bill on the same day that the Senate, with several visiting fourth-grade students in attendance, signed off on the final version of the measure. Adult-business owners said they will challenge the new law in court.

The governor had expressed concern about whether the bill was constitutional and would have vetoed it had he been convinced it wasn't, spokesman Keith Dailey said.

Ultimately, Dailey said, Strickland decided he would respect the wishes of citizens who signed a petition seeking the law and the legislators who voted for it -- a number of whom were Democrats.

The governor also said he thinks the state has more important things to worry about.

"I have said that I think we should be talking about education and job creation and health care, and I think this issue has consumed too much time and attention on the part of political leaders who ought to be concerned about the issues that really touch the lives of Ohioans," Strickland told reporters after a speech Downtown yesterday.

Senate Bill 16 would set statewide standards prohibiting touching of nude dancers and requiring strip clubs and adult bookstores to end most activity at midnight. The bill passed the House 73-24 last week; the Senate concurred yesterday by a vote of 25-8.

To address constitutional concerns, the House made major changes to the bill, created through a petition initiative by the Cincinnati-based Citizens for Community Values. Instead of the proposed 6-foot bubble around dancers at all times, House Republicans strengthened Ohio's no-touching law.

The bill also protects cities and townships from lawsuit damages if they implement additional adult-entertainment restrictions, but only if the attorney general's office helps them craft the laws.

Supporters say it will reduce crime. Angelina Spencer, executive director of the National Association of Club Executives, said her group of adult-business owners will sue to stop the bill. She said courts long have recognized that exotic dance is a protected form of expression.

"This bill is so extreme that it could make handshakes and pats on the back illegal," Spencer said in a statement. "We're going to court and we're going to win."

Strickland's decision on alcohol at the fair, meanwhile, effectively kills proposals to allow wine and beer on the fairgrounds. Currently, only the closing fair concert at Crew Stadium has beer sales.

"I made this decision with an eye toward protecting the tradition of a family-friendly environment at the state fair," Strickland said in a release. "I am not convinced that any proposals I've seen would meet the standards Ohioans have come to expect of their state fair."

Fair manager Virgil Strickler and Opal Holfinger, chairwoman of the Ohio Expositions Commission, both said they would follow the governor's decision.

An informal Dispatch poll of the commission last week indicated that six of the 11 members were open to the idea, but only as long as the governor approved. The 12-day fair opens Aug. 1.

Commission members had asked Strickler to prepare several proposals in February: a beer and wine garden; sales of Ohio beers and wines in the Ohio Food Pavilion; alcohol sales at concerts that aren't oriented toward youths; and sales at points around the fairgrounds.

Strickland considered the proposals and decided that although they might be reconsidered, he could not support them now, Dailey said.

Dispatch reporters Jim Siegel and Matt Tullis contributed to this story.

mniquette@dispatch.com

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