Nassau needs effective action on massage parlors

If a certain type of business showed a 1,200% increase in crime over the last five years, would that warrant tougher regulation and more enforcement?

A July Newsday news division investigation titled "Sex Next Door" found that stunning increase in arrests in cases of prostitution and unlicensed massages at spas across Long Island. Newsday further found that almost 70% of prostitution and unlicensed massage arrests in all of New York last year happened on Long Island.

Those statistics demand effective and bipartisan action to protect our communities.

But an idea to do just that in Nassau County is sputtering, apparently because of politics.

In April the Nassau Legislature enacted a law to combat sex trafficking by limiting hourly bookings at hotels and motels. After the Newsday exposé, Legis. Viviana Russell, a Democrat, introduced an amendment that would, if adopted, increase fines from $500 to up to $25,000 for businesses that repeatedly offer illegal massages and expanded it to massage parlors where most of the sex sales take place. 

But her proposal is in limbo because the Nassau Republican majority didn't advance it earlier this week. Russell said she asked a Republican colleague to co-sponsor the amendment to get it adopted and is waiting to hear back.

Legis. Howard Kopel, the Republican presiding officer, told Newsday that he is reviewing the merits of Russell's amendment. "Our goal is to make sure we fully understand the potential impact and get the legislation right," he wrote in a statement.

That's good governing. But Russell said she wasn't asked to be part of that review. 

"It's not up for discussion, even behind closed doors," she said. The best way to determine whether the language or scope of bill needs to be adjusted is to have public hearings. "We don't know everything as elected officials. We need to rely on experts in the community," said Russell.

Is Russell herself playing politics in an election year? And what difference would that make if it's the right thing to do?

Unfortunately the legislature's Republicans have a documented history of blocking Democrats' proposals and withholding discretionary funds to Democrat-represented districts.

We hope this is not the case with Russell's effort to combat the daily activity at massage parlors located in strip malls next to ordinary businesses.

While the GOP majority might yet move the bill before the November election, as it stands now, the bill appears to be jammed. Such governance diminishes Nassau's ability to more effectively combat illegal sex trafficking, and risks damaging the county legislature's good standing as an institution with the electorate.

That Kopel said he has "identified several issues" with Russell's proposal is a sign of the process working. Keeping Nassau County Democratic legislators in the dark, however, is not conducive to crafting the best possible legislation on behalf of Nassau residents.

Better regulations for massage parlors would improve public safety. Nassau residents deserve legislators who will seriously and openly discuss the bill without bias, regardless of the political calendar.