Bill to ban yoga pants shot down in Montana

HELENA, MT -- A lawmaker wanted to make it illegal to wear yoga pants in Montana, but instead of support, he got laughs.

Members of the Montana House Judiciary Committee killed the measure Tuesday after Republican Rep. David Moore introduced the bill.

If the bill had lived, it would have expanded the definition of indecent exposure to a person's buttocks, genitals, pelvis or female nipple.

Moore says he isn't opposed to people wearing provocative clothing such as tight-fitting beige garments, but he did raise objections when it came to yoga pants. The majority of the committee viewed the bill as humorous and quickly killed it before it could be discussed.

Last year, Moore and a retired professor, Walt Hill, drafted a bill to prevent the annual Bare as you Dare bicycle event, where people ride nude on bicycles through Missoula. City officials don't ticket or arrest anyone over fears that it would conflict with free speech. A 1991 U.S. Supreme Court ruling states public nudity is not covered under freedom of expression.

A person convicted of indecent exposure three times in Montana can be sentenced to life in jail and up to $10,000.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.