MINNEAPOLIS — Government programs designed to reduce the exploitation of children need money, and the Minneapolis city attorney thinks she has found the solution in a tax on strip clubs.

City Attorney Susan Segal says she wants the City Council to consider asking the state for permission to impose on a fee on venues offering nude or partially nude entertainment.

She said the money raised would be used to combat child prostitution and sex trafficking. The council is scheduled to discuss the issue next month.

Segal’s proposal is based on a similar fee in Texas, often called a “pole tax.” The 2007 law charges nude entertainment venues serving alcohol $5 per customer.

A lawyer who often represents Minnesota strip clubs calls the idea unconstitutional.