New laws target sexual bias, will punish pimps

CARSON CITY -- Declaring equal rights "a basic American principle," Gov. Jim Gibbons signed into law a bill to prevent discrimination against gays and lesbians in places of public accommodations, his staff announced Saturday.

Gibbons signed state Senate Bill 207, sought by Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, which prevents discrimination in public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation.

The governor has not yet followed through on his promise to veto another Parks bill, state Senate Bill 283, which would allow same or opposite-sex couples to become legal domestic partners with the same rights and responsibilities as heterosexual married couples.

The governor's office also announced Saturday that Gibbons has signed Assembly Bill 380, which allows courts to confiscate the assets of convicted pimps who use underage children as prostitutes.

Under the bill, pimps also can be fined as much as $500,000. The money taken from them will be used in the counties to fund programs to help teenage prostitutes.

The governor signed the anti-gay discrimination bill, according to Daniel Burns, his communications director, because he views it as a civil rights issue.

"It is a basic Nevada freedom for all people to be free for any reason, including their sexual orientation," Gibbons said in a statement.

Parks, the Legislature's only openly gay member, thanked Gibbons for his support.

The bill was supported by the gaming and restaurant industries.

Under the bill, if someone suspects a place of public accommodation -- such as a hotel, bar or restaurant -- of discrimination, then that person can file a complaint with the Nevada Equal Rights Commission.

The commission will investigate and determine if the complaint has merit. If it does, the person filing the complaint can bring civil action against the business. Parks noted the commission is underfunded, however, and may have trouble responding quickly.

Both Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly supported the bill, passing it 37-3 in the Assembly and 19-2 in the Senate.

The bill to take assets from pimps was sponsored by Assemblyman John Hambrick, R-Las Vegas, a former law enforcement officer who was concerned about the large number of teenage girls who end up as prostitutes in Clark County.

Las Vegas police testified at a hearing that they investigated 150 cases of teen prostitution last year and about 50 in the first quarter of 2009.

Other witnesses said there are no facilities in Nevada to care for sexually exploited children and that teen prostitutes often return to their pimps.

For years, Juvenile Court Justice William Voy and other juvenile justice advocates have tried unsuccessfully to fund the $800,000 it would cost to build and staff a 14-bed safe-house for sexually exploited children.

Through passage of the law and seizing of the money from pimps, they may have the needed funds.

Contact Review-Journal Capital Bureau Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.