HERMOSA BEACH, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--June 7, 1999-- Mayor Bob Benz will have two powerful allies when discussion begins June 8th in his battle to overturn an ordinance that bans nudity on scenic Hermosa Beach. Film actress Jennie J. (former girlfriend of Dennis Rodman) says she plans to drop her top to make a point during the first phase of the city council debate on Tuesday, and Penthouse magazine has taken up the cause in an all out campaign on its Internet site. Hermosa Beach, a popular seaside community south of Los Angeles, has recently become a popular home for young Californians. It has experienced the largest increase in property values of any city in Southern California, in part due to programs instituted by Mayor Benz, including liberalized parking rules and pro-business ordinances.

But section 9.04.020 of the city code is like a pebble in the sandal of Mayor Benz. It prohibits any person over 10 from exposing ``the genitals, vulva, pubis, pubic symphysis, pubic hair, buttocks, natal cleft, perineum, anus, anal region, or pubic hair region while appearing, bathing, sunbathing, walking or being in any public park, playground, beach or the waters.'' The law addresses females separately and bans ``any portion of the breast at or below the upper edge of the areola thereof exposed to public view or that is not covered by an opaque covering.''

``This is an absurd law that is never enforced and does not belong on our books,'' says Mayor Benz. ``On any given Sunday you can see a thousand women rollerblading down our boardwalk wearing nothing more than their rollerblades and a nominal thong bikini. Why make them criminals? If men can go topless, women should be able to as well.'' The city council meeting on Tuesday, June 8th, at 7:10 PM at City Hall, 1315 Valley Drive, will offer citizens an opportunity to air their views on overturning the law, which will be put to a vote on Tuesday, July 13th.

Penthouse decided to support Mayor Benz, whose second four-year term ends in October, as part of its 30-year effort on behalf of free sexual expression. It is providing comprehensive information on Hermosa Beach on its (www.penthouse.com/hermosa) Website, including a biography of Mayor Benz, and photos of Jennie J.

Ms. J., who has bounced back after being dumped by Rodman when he married Carmen Electra, is scheduled to appear in an upcoming episode about Rodman on ``E! True Hollywood Stories.'' She will also appear in a new movie with Claudia Schiffer, ``Desperate, But Not Serious,'' due out in the Fall. She is an articulate defender of political causes.