TONOPAH -- An ordinance authorizing the FBI to check fingerprints of workers in the liquor, gambling and prostitution business was approved by Nye County Commissioners Tuesday.

Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo said the county currently checks names of those licensed individuals through national crime databases to see if there are any warrants. The fingerprints taken by sheriff's deputies until now have merely been filed away in Tonopah, he said.

When Nye County sheriff's investigators wanted the FBI to check out the fingerprints of Bruce Kahn, who unsuccessfully applied for the license to run the Chicken Ranch last year, DeMeo said the FBI refused to accept their fingerprint cards.

"In order for us to run people through the FBI fingerprint system we would have to pass an ordinance to do so," DeMeo said.

Bob Swadell, a lobbyist who has represented the brothels, said he totally supports the county having access to the FBI database, but had concerns over delays in permitting employees. DeMeo said employees could be given a conditional work card, pending the receipt of the FBI fingerprint check.

"That would mean that the Nye County sheriff's office or someone in the State of Nevada controls how quickly fingerprints return from the FBI and we can't," DeMeo said. "This is not going to interfere with anybody that's applying as a worker for the brothel establishment."

The FBI notified the Nevada Department of Public Safety as of Aug. 29 the bureau will not accept fingerprint cards for national criminal background checks without a local statute, DeMeo said.

Commissioner Roberta "Midge" Carver, said, "what I'm seeing is the added layer of the FBI fingerprint check for the employees."

But Deputy District Attorney Michelle Jones said the ordinance doesn't expand on any fingerprinting requirements currently in effect in the county code.

Bobbi Davis, owner of the Shady Lady Ranch, questioned why there needed to be that in-depth investigation of her workers.

"All they're doing is selling sex," she said. "I don't mind owners, I don't mind managers, I don't see why the girls have to be subjected to that point."