Perhaps the most widely ignored legal reality in Las Vegas (except for the open container law) are the laws against prostitution. From brothel prostitution to escorts, there is no form of legal prostitution in Clark County, which includes Vegas. The confusion is caused by the fact that Nevada is the only state in the nation with legal brothel prostitution, just not in Vegas. The closest legal brothel to Vegas is the Chicken Ranch, which is just minutes from the county line by car.
Whenever Vegas has hit an economic road bump in the last decade, the idea of legalizing prostitution has been floated as a solution, and then gone nowhere. There are a few reasons for this. The state Legislature would have to pass a law allowing prostitution in Clark County and that would severely hurt the tax base of the smaller counties that depend on the money that comes from brothels. The state of Nevada -- despite the willingness, indeed, occasional eagerness of the brothel industry to be taxed -- has been reluctant to craft any integral role for the brothels in the state tax base. The view was based not only on resisting the temptation for expansion but on a general belief that as the state left behind its Western libertarian roots, rural Nevada would eventually grow out of the need for brothel taxes as suburbs blossomed, replacing the empty ghost towns and desert nothing between Reno (where prostitution is illegal) and Vegas. Also, the casino industry (especially Steve Wynn) has in the past opposed any attempt to legalize prostitution in Vegas. Finally, no previous economic crisis Vegas has faced has lasted long enough to begin a dialogue about opening up Vegas to legalized prostitution. Once the crisis fades, interest vanishes.
Of course, the biggest sponsor for considering legalized prostitution in Vegas is Mayor Oscar Goodman. But because prostitution is an issue to be decided on the state level, his support for exploring the use of the oldest profession for downtown redevelopment has never received any serious attention.
Now, state Sen. Bob Coffin has given fresh life to this old idea by simply bringing it up as a serious proposal. According to the Sun, "This is the first time in recent memory that a legislator has taken up this issue." Unsurprisingly, Coffin need not care about political fallout as he has reached his term limit for service and will not have to run again. Just as interesting, the article's one clear opponent to expanding Nevada's legalized prostitution system to Vegas is identified only as a "ranking Assembly Democrat." What does it say about changing times and attitudes when the opponents of expanded legalized prostitution do not want their names in a story connected to that position? Obviously, behind this push for expanding legalized prostitution is Nevada's budget mess. To give one example, the governor's proposed budget may require cutting close to half of UNLV's state funding. Therefore, no one is leaping to oppose ideas that can add money to help fix this mess.
So, here we are in 2009, and Nevada does not have enough money and everyone knows it. And everyone accepts that an awful lot of prostitution is going on unregulated and untaxed in Las Vegas. There are no new arguments about this issue, just changing times. And, unlike a recent proposal to lower the gambling age to 18, expanding legal prostitution does not seem as offensive to the general populace of Sin City, many of whom probably never knew it was illegal in the first place. After all, why should Nye County (where the Chicken Ranch is located) get the tax benefit from Vegas tourists?
Still, as much as downtown Las Vegas might support this idea, I doubt the casinos have changed their position. Resorts are opposed to most things that take their customers off the property to spend money. And without the support of the gambling industry, legalized prostitution in Las Vegas would be almost politically impossible.
But these are economic times like Vegas has never seen before. And I suspect this idea will get more attention than anyone imagines this go-around. The time to discuss legalized prostitution for Las Vegas has arrived.
I certainly have mixed views on whether this would be good for Vegas tourism, the community and the customers and workers who frequent this sort of entertainment. Many of my opinions were formed when I was working on a story and spent a week living at the Chicken Ranch and observing the business up close. And as this moves along, I will share those thoughts and memories with you.
But for now, I am curious about what you think. Would legal prostitution be another way to make Vegas a fantastic fantasy spot for you, or would it make Vegas a hopelessly seedy neighborhood stacked with many of the world's most expensive and luxurious resorts? Would you be more or less likely to visit Vegas if there was legal prostitution available in some form?
These are questions getting a new look in 2009 as Vegas continues to lose residents and visitors, faces an unprecedented drop in gambling and remains the foreclosure capital of the country. Is it time to bring on the hookers to help save Las Vegas?
Photo: Dallas combs her hair at the brothel Donna's Ranch in Wells, NV. George Frey / For The Times