Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Democratic leaders give thumbs down to legalizing prostitution in Clark County

Brothel Lobbyist George Flint

Brothel lobbyist George Flint testifies in committee on April 6, 2011, at the Legislature in Carson City.

Veteran brothels lobbyist George Flint may have wanted his final coup de grace to be the legalization of prostitution in Clark County, but he won't have the Legislature's two most powerful lawmakers on his side.

Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, said she would like to see the details of any proposal to legalize prostitution in Nevada's largest county. But when pressed, she admitted she ultimately wouldn't support it. Her counterpart in the Senate, Majority Leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, had a similar sentiment.

"I doubt that's something I would support," he said.

Flint, who has lobbied for Nevada's legal brothel industry for 28 years, told the Sun last year that he will likely retire after this session. But he'll make one final push to make brothel's legal in Clark County. Now, brothels are legal only in counties with a population of less than 700,000.

“I’m dedicated to doing it in my lifetime,” Flint told the Sun. “I feel the lack of legalization and regulation in Clark County creates a huge amount of crime that needs to be addressed.”

Flint has estimated, it could bring in $300 million to $400 million in taxes for the county, city or state, every two years.

Even if Flint falls short in his quest, he may succeed in convincing lawmakers to include prostitution in the live entertainment tax or a services tax that may come under consideration. Kirkpatrick said she was open to considering that possibility.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy