A Seattle City Council committee decided to wait until next month to vote on proposed changes to the rules that govern strip clubs.

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has proposed stricter rules that would require brighter lighting and virtually ban lap dances — a main source of income for many of Seattle's 550 registered adult entertainers.

More than 100 strippers showed up at a City Council meeting Wednesday to protest the rules, which they say would cut their income and even force them out of their jobs.

Attorneys for Rick's in Lake City and Deja Vu clubs in Seattle argued in yesterday's meeting that they hadn't had time to properly research the mayor's proposal and propose alternatives.

"Five weeks will help me substantially," said Suzanne Snow, a Rick's dancer who attended the meeting. "At least I can make other arrangements."

A lawsuit filed this spring could overturn the city's longstanding moratorium on new strip clubs, so Nickels wants to make sure new rules are in place if new clubs become legal. The proposed rules are similar to those in place in other jurisdictions around the region.

Seattle's Finance and Budget Committee will consider the issue again at its meeting Sept. 21.