A Louisiana Senate committee rejected a bill today that would make it a state crime to wear one's pants too low. Opponents on the committee said the proposal would infringe on free speech rights.

The bill does not affect municipal ordinances in effect all over the state that ban pants that sag so low they show undergarments. Shreveport, Minden and Mansfield are among the cities that have anti-sagging ordinances.

State Sen. Derrick Shepherd's bill would make it illegal to wear, in public, clothing that "intentionally exposes undergarments or

intentionally exposes any portion of the pubic hair, cleft of the buttocks or genitals." Violators would face a fine of up to $175 and eight days of community service.

Exceptions would include thong swimsuits and clothing worn in fashion shows.

Sen. Yvonne Dorsey of Baton Rouge said she has studied the issue and found that the people who adopt the droopy pants style are emulating the beltless look of prison inmates.

Shepherd, of Marrero, tried and failed to pass a similar bill in 2004, but the measure died in the face of opposition from the American Civil Liberties Union.

About a dozen Louisiana towns and cities have enacted or are considering bans on "sagging."

The Associated Press contributed to this report