Latest news with #LD913
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Maine Legislature approves bill to curb price gouging for concert tickets
Jun. 13—The Maine Legislature has passed a bill that performing arts venues say could help fans avoid scams, surprise fees and overpriced tickets. LD 913 requires ticket sellers to clearly disclose all fees upfront. It also bans the use of bots to bypass ticket limits and fake websites that mimic real venues. It prohibits vendors from selling speculative tickets — tickets they don't already own or that haven't gone on sale yet — and requires resellers to issue refunds for counterfeit tickets. The bill will now go to Gov. Janet Mills for consideration. She has 10 days to either sign the bill, veto it or allow it to become law without her signature. A spokesperson for her office on Friday did not say how she would act on this legislation. "It just is really about keeping our creative economy dollars circulating locally," said Mollie Cashwell, director of the Cultural Alliance of Maine, which supported the bill. Performing arts organizations of all kinds told lawmakers that their patrons are struggling to keep up with the secondary market. Maggie LaMee, director of finance and administration at the Ogunquit Playhouse, said the theater regularly gets calls from patrons who are upset because they spent hundreds of dollars on a seat. The staff has to tell those callers that they were tricked into paying an inflated price through a reseller — the Ogunquit Playhouse didn't sell any tickets for the recent show of "Come From Away" for more than $160. And the extra money those patrons spent doesn't go to the local arts organizations or nearby businesses. "This legislation addresses the deceptive practices that are harming the consumer and then also harming the venue," LaMee said. Lauren Wayne, president of the State Theatre Presents in Portland, said bad actors use bots to scoop up hundreds of tickets at a time and then resell them for much more than their face value on websites that are made to look like the venue's. Even worse, the box office sometimes sees tickets that are just plain fake. At last year's sold-out Gracie Abrams concert, for example, Wayne said young women were crying outside the show when they realized their tickets were counterfeit. The State Theatre planned for scams and reserved seats for those fans, but the business and the artist had to eat the cost. Should the bill become law, the Maine Office of the Attorney General could enforce violations as unfair trade practices. Anyone in violation could be subject to a civil penalty of no more than $5,000. A federal law is supposed to prevent automated bots from buying tickets, but concert promoters say it's rarely enforced. Wayne said she won't hesitate to turn to state officials instead. "We'll be reporting all the violations that we know about, which we can easily find through our ticketing site and because we've been doing this for so long," Wayne said. "We have no qualms about having the attorney general's information handy and readily available to hand out at shows." "Buying a ticket to see your favorite band or team shouldn't feel like navigating a trap," Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, sponsor of the bill, said in a news release. "This legislation puts power back in the hands of consumers by ensuring transparency, banning deceptive practices, and protecting Mainers from scams. Maine people love live music and supporting our local Maine venues, which are the heart of so many of our communities. Everyone deserves to know what they're paying for — no surprises, no hidden fees, just fun." The Housing and Economic Development Committee worked with arts organizations on the amended version that passed both chambers of the Legislature this week. "LD 913 will be a meaningful step toward preserving Maine's rich, independent live events culture and protecting the venues, artists, and fans that make it special," said Rep. Cassie Julia, D-Waterville, who sponsored the committee amendment. Copy the Story Link We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others. We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion. You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs. Show less
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Legislative recap for Thursday, June 12
The Maine State House in Augusta. (Jim Neuger/Maine Morning Star) Thursday saw several major issues come to the floor, with the Maine Senate and House of Representatives taking up more than a dozen gun bills. Additionally, the Senate voted on two bills related to transgender rights, arguably the most contentious topic this session, while the chambers backed proposals to increase taxes on corporations and top earners. With papers frantically shuffling between chambers this week ahead of the planned June 18 adjournment, Maine Morning Star will highlight the biggest items of debate as well as legislation and issues that we've followed all session. Here's an overview of what else happened Thursday. After the House voted 76-71 on Thursday, both chambers have now backed a measure (LD 913) that would prohibit ticket sellers from banning the transfer of tickets to third parties. The Senate on Thursday followed the House in backing LD 172, which would require the Maine State Police to create a statewide list of missing persons and study improvements for investigating those cases, but then moved to table the measure. (Read more about this issue here). With the Senate voting 19-16, the majority of both chambers support a proposal (LD 648) to expand the state's supervised community confinement program for incarcerated people who committed offenses before they were 26 years old. The Senate on Thursday insisted on its support of a proposal (LD 1200), rejected by the House Wednesday, that would prohibit the sale of items intended to be used to inhale nitrous oxide for recreational use. Voting without a roll call, the Senate passed legislation (LD 1955) that establishes several new programs to help support and incentivize people to become early childhood educators and providers. It also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a plan for the long-term sustainability of the Maine Child Care Affordability Program. Introducing her bill, Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) said it is about 'supporting the workforce behind our workforce.' The Senate voted 20-15 on legislation that would establish a moratorium on the sale of mobile home parks. During debate, Sen. Chip Curry (D-Waldo) explained the pause would allow some of the other bills that passed protecting mobile home owners to take effect. An emergency bill (LD 1986) from the governor to fund collective bargaining agreements for judicial branch employees passed the Senate, with members agreeing to skip the committee process to advance the legislation. The Senate voted without a roll call to back a plan (LD 1669) to establish the Cannabis Advisory Council, to make recommendations to the head of the state Office of Cannabis Policy, as well the Legislature, on matters related to the industry and policy. Legislation (LD 1164 ) that would give the Wabanaki Nations exclusive rights to operate internet gaming in Maine passed the House 85-59. During debate, Passamaquoddy Tribal Rep. Aaron Dana said the bill offers hope and opportunity not just for tribal communities but for rural Maine. He added that it's ultimately about long-overdue economic inclusion. (Read more about this issue here). SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
