Las Vegas Vacation Blog Blog

A plan to levy a $5 state tax on sex acts died Thursday in a Nevada Senate committee, one vote shy of the four needed to keep the proposal alive.

SB369 died on a 3-4 vote in the Senate Taxation Committee despite revisions suggested by Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, a minister, to discourage human trafficking in the sex trade and to ensure that a state ombudsman could help prostitutes get out of the trade.

Sen. Mike Schneider, D-Las Vegas, offered another amendment to spread the estimated $2 million a year raised by the tax among outlying Nevada counties where prostitution is legal. That would have excluded several counties, including two encompassing the state’s population centers of Reno and Las Vegas, where prostitution is prohibited.

Washington, Schneider and the bill’s sponsor, Senate Taxation Chairman Bob Coffin, D-Las Vegas, cast the only votes for SB369.

There was little comment from the four opponents. Sen. Mike McGinness, R-Fallon, said he wouldn’t support a new tax on services; and Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, questioned Schneider’s comments that nothing is done about illegal prostitution in the Las Vegas area.

Schneider said the committee heard testimony that there are about 40,000 sex workers and some 3,000 pimps in the Las Vegas area, yet “we kind of get all morally high on these things.”

The state has not collected a dollar in taxes from prostitution since it was legalized in some rural counties more than 30 years ago, and Coffin said that should change because the state is desperate for revenue.

At an earlier hearing on the measure, witnesses included three sex workers at legal brothels, along with a madam and three bordello owners. All but one of the brothel owners spoke in favor of Coffin’s plan to levy the tax and create a state ombudsman to counsel sex workers.

Opponents included prostitution researcher Melissa Farley who termed the bill “an act of legislative pimping” and said the tax proceeds would be “blood money” derived from “a form of sexual abuse” and “paid rape.”

Nevadans pioneered legalized gambling, prize fights and quickie divorces, and for the most part tolerated prostitution even before their state joined the union in 1864. But a historian says a long state history of going against the grain isn’t likely to be enough to advance Coffin’s proposal.

Guy Rocha, in an interview prior to Thursday’s vote, said legislators just don’t want to deal with such a politically charged issue and instead “just want it to go away.”

“Religious conservatives will line up with liberals and feminists who see this as demeaning to women,” Rocha said. “Some don’t want to give prostitution any legitimacy, even though it’s legal in many rural counties.”

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If traveling around the strip, walking is a reasonable option as hotel-casinos are found close to each other. In fact in most cases, at least two hotels are connected to each other either by bridge or underground or in the case of Excalibur, Luxor and Malanday Bay, by a complimentary rail shuttle. Be aware that during the summer, the oppressive heat during the daylight hours may make walking a very uncomfortable activity. So if you don’t feel like walking or are staying at a hotel off the strip or better yet renting a home in Las Vegas here are some options:

he Las Vegas Monorail [11], +1 702 699-8200, runs on the east side of the strip with stops behind several of the hotels and at the Las Vegas Convention Center [12]. It costs $5 one-way, $9 return and $15 for a one-day pass. Do the math before boarding, it could be cheaper for a small group to take a taxi. Because the monorail stops at the back entrance of the hotels, it takes a long time to wind through the maze of casinos, often taking 30 minutes to an hour to get from one point to another on the Strip - if you’re in a hurry take a taxi.

Taxi

One of the easiest ways to get around is by taxi. It is relatively cheap to go from hotel to hotel. The cab driver is required to turn on the meter and to take the shortest route to your destination. There is a surcharge for rides originating at the airport, but not for extra passengers. Taxi lines (queues) are typically found at the front of hotels. You would be unwise to attempt to hail one on the street, especially on the Strip as it is illegal for a cab to stop traffic to pick up or drop off a passenger. The best way to hail a cab outside of a cabstand is to use the following method: if you are wanting to go north on the strip, stand on the east side about 20 feet before a turn off. The cab you want to wave over will have the yellow lights off. Standing like this allows the cab to turn off the road and pick you up. It is customary to tip the hotel taxi dispatcher $1 or more; tip the cab driver at least 15% of the meter, and about $1 per piece of luggage.

Renting a Car in Las Vegas

Renting a car at McCarran International Airport is fairly cheap and popular. The opening of the new rental car facility has increased the wait time to get your car. All the rental agencies are now located under a single roof and all use the same shuttle from the airport to the facility. There have been reports of an extra 30 min increase in the time it takes to pick up and/or drop off your vehicle, so please add this to any arrival and departure times so you won’t be late for anything important. Expect to pay about 50% more for your car rental due to recent tax increases.