CARSON CITY, Nev. — Nevada's legal brothel owners won't get a much-coveted, first-ever state tax on their industry this year.

Assembly Commerce Chairwoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas said Thursday that she won't bring up one of the two proposals to impose a tax on legal prostitution for a vote.

"It's becoming a distraction to the important work we're doing,'' she said. "We really don't have time to examine the state of the brothel industry.''

The bill would have put a 10 percent tax on food and drink served in the state's 28 bordellos, and a tax of $2 per "party.''

The brothel lobby asked for the tax, hoping it would bring legalized prostitution added acceptability and create some goodwill for the industry.

"Look, if we contribute and do nice things for the state, maybe the state will like us better,'' brothel lobbyist George Flint said.

Also Thursday, a Senate committee gutted a separate proposal to tax brothels. The bill would have put a live entertainment tax on brothels, and repealed the tax in all other circumstances — except on adult entertainment. The Senate Finance Committee passed the bill — after removing all references to prostitution.

Sen. John Lee, D-North Las Vegas, said the solution was intended "to allow (brothels) to continue to do what they do, and not encourage us to put into statute more things that legitimize them within our state.''

Had the tax offers made it out of committee and through the Legislature, they would have died on Gov. Kenny Guinn's desk, a spokesman said.

"The governor just thinks it's a local government issue and not part of his agenda,'' spokesman Greg Bortolin said. "He thinks, as well, that he would be affirming the industry if he came out in support of the bill.''

"It's not something the governor is going to waste any time on.''

Flint said the brothel tax offer stands, should future legislatures want to take him up on it. In the meantime, he said, "I bow to the wisdom of the Legislature.''