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CARSON CITY, Nevada, February 22, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Although not exactly known for his conservative beliefs, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has sided with social conservatives on an important issue, telling his home state, the last legal home of prostitution in the United States, that it’s time to kick out the seedy practice.

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“Nevada needs to be known as the first place for innovation and investment – not as the last place where prostitution is still legal,” said Reid in a speech to the Nevada Legislature, according to a Las Vegas Sun article Tuesday.

Reid, a former member of the Nevada Assembly before becoming the Democrat Senate Majority Leader on Capitol Hill, said that allowing brothels has driven away businesses.

Nevada allows prostitution to flourish in 28 licensed brothels, reportedly located largely in rural areas, and which are authorized by the county. While occasional attempts have been made in the past to outlaw prostitution in Nevada, lawmakers generally say they are “personally opposed” to the practice but unwilling to legislate the issue.

A brothel owner present at the Legislature along with eight of his female prostitutes said that Reid would “have to pry the cat house keys from my cold dead hands.”

Governor Brian Sandoval also reacted negatively to Reid’s comments. “It’s up to the counties to decide if they want it or not,” he said, according to the Sun. All other top Nevada leaders answered similarly, deflecting the matter to local governments.

Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman has long been a supporter of extending legalized prostitution, saying in 2003 that brothels should be made available to Las Vegas tourists because that would provide a safer, regulated alternative to illegal prostitution, and would generate revenue. Prostitution is currently illegal in Las Vegas.

Barbara Brents, a professor at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, told the Wall Street Journal that Reid’s comments were a “complete shock.” The speech is believed by observers to be the first time that Reid, who professes the Mormon faith, has spoken out against prostitution in his home state.