(Miranda Willson | Las Vegas Sun) – A proposed amendment to a Nye County ordinance that would restrict the hours when legal prostitutes are permitted to leave licensed brothels has renewed a debate about the rights and working conditions of sex workers in Nevada.
The Nye County Commission has not yet set a date for a public hearing on the bill, said Arnold Knightly, the county spokesperson. A working draft of the proposal was crafted over the last two years and completed last month, said Nye County Commission Chairman John Koenig. It is expected to be introduced at the Oct. 15 commission meeting.
The proposed changes were decided by a group of local stakeholders, including brothel owners, “madams” of the brothels, the district attorney’s office, lawyers and other county officials, Koenig said. Previously, Nye County law stated that prostitutes were permitted to leave brothels for no more than 24 hours at a time without retesting.