In testimony on SB287 before the Assembly Committee on Government Affairs on June 3, 2019, lobbyist Danny Thompson urged support for an amendment that would make brothel work card applications – with highly personal information, including names, addresses, Social Security numbers, passport numbers, emergency contact information, etc. – confidential in Nevada’s public records law.
As Mr. Thompson noted in his testimony, a Reno attorney, Jason Guinasso – who ran a ballot campaign last year to shut down Lyon County’s legal brothels (it failed, 80-20%) – has been trying to force the county to provide him with copies of 10 years’ worth of brothel work card applications under the state’s current public records law as written.
In talking about the suspicious motivation behind Mr. Guinasso’s effort to obtain this personal information, Mr. Thompson said, with an appropriate tinge of sarcasm, “Chances are, this individual does not want to send these women a Christmas card.”
Mr. Thompson also detailed a horrific physical assault recently perpetrated on a legal brothel worker in Reno, underscoring the danger of these records being disclosed. Keeping personal information provided in an employment application confidential is a critical protection for women in this industry who may be stalked, harassed or physically assaulted.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT
“To the extent County or local governments require work cards for certain occupations at establishments within a County or City, that County or local government board shall create and maintain a system of records and those records, including but not limited to applications, identity of applicants and work card holders or former work card holders, personal information of work card applicants or holders, may only be accessed by those persons or entities authorized by the County Commission or board having jurisdiction of such work cards.”
This would be similar to the protections gaming employees – who also must apply for a government work card – enjoy per NRS 463.335…
“Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, all records acquired or compiled by the Board or Commission relating to any application made pursuant to this section, all lists of persons registered as gaming employees, all lists of persons suspended or objected to by the Board and all records of the names or identity of persons engaged in the gaming industry in this State are confidential and must not be disclosed except in the proper administration of this chapter or to an authorized law enforcement agency.”
Thank you, Danny!