Opinion ID: 1356701
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Legality of the Ordinance.

Text: Appellants contend that the State of Nevada has a comprehensive statutory scheme regarding prostitution which preempts an allegedly conflicting ordinance of Lincoln County proscribing prostitution. In the instant factual context, we cannot agree. A county licensing board may not grant a license for a house of prostitution in counties with a population greater than 200,000. NRS 244.345(8). Lincoln County has a population substantially less than 200,000. Additionally, [t]his provision, when read in conjunction with NRS 244.345(1), manifests a statutory licensing scheme for houses of prostitution outside of incorporated cities and towns. Nye County v. Plankinton, 94 Nev. 739, 741, 587 P.2d 421, 423 (1978). The legislature has specifically provided that the board of county commissioners has the power to license, regulate or suppress brothels in unincorporated cities or towns. NRS 244.345(1)(b), NRS 269.175. Clearly, there is no legislative declaration that voters in a small county, or a county board, may not enact an ordinance totally banning houses of prostitution. Appellants assert that this court's holding in Plankinton was that state law now permits the licensing of houses of prostitution and that the less populated counties are divested of the power to prohibit them. But that holding merely confirmed the fact that houses of prostitution were no longer nuisances per se in light of NRS 244.345(8) as the court had otherwise held in Cunningham v. Washoe County, 66 Nev. 60, 203 P.2d 611 (1949). This is not an action by a political subdivision to abate a nuisance. Cf. Nye County v. Plankinton, 94 Nev. at 740, 587 P.2d at 422 (county board of commissioners unsuccessfully sought to eliminate one brothel under a nuisance per se theory). Indeed, here the electorate of the county, through the exercise of their prerogative to initiate county ordinances by initiative and referendum, have voted to ban all brothels. That the electorate has this power is without dispute. [3] With but one exception, the legislature appears to have reserved the total ban question to the counties but demands licensing in counties where brothels are allowed. Appellants contend that the suppression of brothels is the exclusive concern of state government, except where the state expressly yields its power of suppression to local government. But in the case cited for this proposition, Kelley v. Clark County, 61 Nev. 293, 127 P.2d 221 (1942), this court only stated that the suppression of nuisances was one of the most important duties of government and cities cannot divest the state of all power to regulate them. The court added that a city could enact ordinances not inconsistent with state laws. Id. at 299, 127 P.2d at 223-24. The county in that case was responsible for enforcing state laws concerning abatement of nuisances and had jurisdiction throughout the county. The legislative history of NRS 244.345(8) indicates that the regulation of brothels had historically been a matter of local concern. We recognize that community standards and mores may differ from one community to another and even from time to time in the same community and that the county governing body, or the local electorate, as here, may see fit to adopt, repeal or amend ordinances to meet prevailing or then contemporary conditions. Cf. Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15, 24, 30-37, 93 S.Ct. 2607, 37 L.Ed.2d 419 (1973) (applying contemporary community standards in area of obscenity). It is proper that the community most affected, either beneficially or adversely, have control over the area sought to be regulated. It is not clear from a reading of NRS 244.345 and 269.175 that the legislature intended to preempt the field of brothel regulation. Because NRS 244.345(1)-(7) only refers to licensing procedures and does not mandate that brothels be allowed in any county, and because we believe the regulation of brothels is a matter of local concern, we find that our legislature did not intend to deprive counties of the power to ban brothels completely. Appellants argue that the reference in the last paragraph of NRS 244.345(1) to NRS 269.175 (allowing county licensing boards exclusive control over unincorporated towns) implicitly means that there is no power to prohibit brothels elsewhere. Certainly, we must look to the whole purpose and scope of legislative scheme to determine whether the legislature intended to occupy the entire field. Lamb v. Mirin, 90 Nev. 329, 332-33, 526 P.2d 80, 82 (1974). See Ronnow v. City of Las Vegas, 57 Nev. 332, 65 P.2d 133 (1937). Although the legislature may elect to preempt the entire field, here there only appears to be a legislative intent to provide for the licensing of businesses and to prohibit brothels in counties with a population exceeding 200,000. In the instant case, there is no clear and unquestionable indication from legislative acts, Cunningham v. Washoe County, 66 Nev. at 64-65, 203 P.2d at 613, that the legislation was intended to occupy the entire field. See DeCanas v. Bica, 424 U.S. 351, 96 S.Ct. 933, 47 L.Ed.2d 43 (1976). Nor is there any clear implication that by the outlawing of brothels in larger counties, the legislature intended that they be necessarily lawful in other areas. Neither is the new ordinance in conflict with general laws. Nev.Const. art. 4, § 21. Here, even had the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners by ordinance and without voter approval completely banned prostitution, such ordinance would not have been inconsistent with the laws in the area. Kelley v. Clark County, 61 Nev. at 299, 127 P.2d at 223-24.