The 2019 Nevada legislative session is just weeks away, and brothel representatives are taking action to prepare for what may be a battle to save the industry as a whole.
Word has been circulating over the past year that an effort was afoot to outlaw all brothel operations in the Silver State and that appears to be more than simple conjecture. According to the Nevada Legislature’s website, state Sen. Joseph Hardy, R-Boulder City, submitted a Bill Draft Request, labeled BDR 20-110, in June last year with the aim of banning legal prostitution throughout the entire state. Those who work in legal prostitution are not planning to take the move lying down, however, and have started the process of resurrecting the Nevada Brothel Association to head off the attempt.
“Associates of late Nevada State Assemblyman Dennis Hof (R-District 36) have re-registered the Nevada Brothel Association as a state political action committee (PAC) in advance of the 2019 Nevada Legislature,” a news release from the Hof team detailed. “The new PAC was formed by Suzette Cole, general manager of Assemblyman Hof’s business operations in Lyon County, along with Alice Little and Ruby Rae, two legal courtesans who led the successful ‘Save Our Brothels’ campaign to defeat an anti-brothel question on (Lyon County’s) November’s ballot.”
Rae and Little defended their industry in the news release, with Rae noting, “We perform a valuable and safe service that’s been stigmatized and misrepresented for many, many years,” and Little declaring, “It’s illegal sex work that exploits children. It’s illegal sex work that traffics. It’s illegal sex work that sees women exploited and abused by pimps. We don’t have that in legal brothels.”
Rae added that the two gained valuable experience and knowledge when fighting against the Lyon County ballot question seeking to eliminate brothels in that county. The most important aspects, they said, were community outreach and education, giving the public their own side of the story in addition to the negative picture drawn by those opposing legal brothel operations.
As detailed in the release, the Nevada Brothel Association was initially established in 1985 for the same purpose that it holds now, to battle attempts to kill the industry. George Flint was a key player, acting as lobbyist at the Nevada Legislature until 2015,when he retired and the association was disbanded. The association is being reborn with the looming legislative session presenting new threats to brothels all across the state.
“While the effort to ban legal brothels in Lyon County failed this year, a new legislative threat seeking to ban prostitution statewide has emerged,” said Chuck Muth, Assemblyman Hof’s former campaign manager. Muth is the association’s registered agent and is serving as the group’s spokesman. “With Assemblyman Hof no longer here to speak for and defend the industry, it’s necessary for others to step up and carry the torch. That’s why we decided to bring back the Nevada Brothel Association,” Muth stated.
The new association was founded by those involved at Hof’s four Lyon County brothels, the Bunny Ranch, Kit Kat Ranch, Love Ranch North and Sagebrush Ranch. According to the release, the association has plans to reach out to and invite other brothel operators to join the political action committee prior to the start of the 2019 Nevada legislative session as well.
Visit www.NevadaBrothelAssociation.com for more information.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com