NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The so-called sagging pants bill is one step closer to becoming law in Tennessee. Wednesday, the bill jumped its first hurdle in the Legislature, but not without a big debate among lawmakers.

Some may see Dejuan Teasley's sagging pants as a harmless fashion statement. Others call it downright disrespectful.

"You got the right to wear your clothes how you want to," Teasley said. "You got the right to appear how you want to appear."

But Wednesday, lawmakers in a House subcommittee said OK to the bill that would slap a $250 fine on anyone caught in public with pants so low that his or her underwear can be seen.

Since Rep. Joe Towns of Memphis introduced the bill last month, he said he's been flooded with calls from people who'd like to see the ban include restaurants.

"When they go to McDonald's or a restaurant, they don't want to see somebody doing this and doing this all day serving food," said Towns.

"Now we're going to be targeting people that wear their clothes that way, and it's primarily black males," said Rep. Karen Camper of Memphis.

Camper was the only person on the committee to vote against the bill. She said not only are there questions about racial profiling, but the bill is too vague as it stands.

"In the list of public places beaches was in there, in the parks, the street, restrooms, everywhere that the public is expected to be is in that bill," she said. "That's a problem."

The bill will now go to a House committee.