[Dynagroove] rave act update

[releasela at msn.com]

> Subject: New Threat to Music Industry
>
> Happy New Year!
>
> Thank you for your interest in reforming the RAVE Act. I'm writing you
because
> Congress is considering a new threat to the music industry - the proposed
> federal CLEAN-UP Act (HR 834).
>
> As you may know, this otherwise innocuous bill contains an unrelated
section
> that makes it a crime - punishable by fines and up to nine years in prison
-
> to "knowingly promote any rave, dance, music, or other entertainment event,
> that takes place under circumstances where the promoter knows or reasonably
> ought to know that a controlled substance will be used or distributed."
Under
> the provision, any event promoter, nightclub owner and arena or stadium
owner
> could be fined and jailed, since a reasonable person would know some people
> use drugs at musical events. The CLEAN-UP Act currently has 121
co-sponsors.
> We know the sponsor was waiting until the bill got over 100 co-sponsors
before
> aggressively pushing the bill. Thus, we expect this bill to move through
> Congress this year.
>
> Our goal is not to defeat the CLEAN-UP Act itself, which has a number of
good
> provisions training law-enforcement officers how to dismantle
methamphetamine
> laboratories, but to remove this one un-related section that is a threat to
> free speech and innocent business owners. We will be sending co-sponsors of
> the bill and Committee members the attached and pasted sign on-letter from
> business owners when Congress convenes later this month. If you have your
own
> business, please consider signing your business onto this letter. Also,
please
> forward this e-mail to  promoters, nightclub owners, and other business
owners
> you know. The more businesses that sign on to this letter, the better
chance
> we have of removing this provision.
>
> The deadline for signing on is next Monday, January 19th.
>
> If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
>
> =======================================
> Bill Piper, Associate Director of National Affairs
> Drug Policy Alliance
> Washington, D.C. Office
> 925 15th Street NW, 2nd Floor
> Phone: (202) 216-0035
> Fax: (202) 216-0803
> www.drugpolicy.org
> bpiper at drugpolicy.org
>
>
> <<OSE Sign-On - business owners.doc>>
>
>
> Dear Co-Sponsors of H.R. 834 and Committee Members,
>
> As business owners we are very concerned with Section 305 of the CLEAN-UP
Act
> (H.R. 834). While we do not take issue with the bill in general (which
> provides funding for the safe clean up of illegal methamphetamine
> laboratories), Section 305 would hurt innocent business owners. We urge you
to
> remove this section from the CLEAN-UP Act.
>
> If enacted, Section 305 would make it a crime - punishable by fines and up
to
> nine years in federal prison - to "knowingly promote any rave, dance,
music,
> or other entertainment event, that takes place under circumstances where
the
> promoter knows or reasonably ought to know that a controlled substance will
be
> used or distributed."
>
> Section 305 is overly broad and could be used against almost any business
> owner. Under the provision, any event promoter, nightclub owner and arena
or
> stadium owner could be fined and jailed, since a reasonable person would
know
> some people use drugs at musical events. In fact, any property owner
> (including hotel owners, cruise ship owners, and casino owners) could be
hurt
> under this provision, since it is reasonable to assume that any
entertainment
> event that attracts a large crowd (especially young people) will attract
> people who will try to use or sell drugs.
>
> Disturbingly, it does not matter under this provision if event promoters
and
> property owners take steps to deter drug offenses.  They can be prosecuted
> even if they have good security and a strict zero-tolerance drug policy.
Nor
> does it matter if the vast majority of people attending the event are
> law-abiding citizens that do not use drugs. Section 305 criminalizes entire
> events and everyone that promotes such events based on the actions of a
few,
> raising very serious free speech and due process issues. People should not
be
> punished for the crimes of others, nor should the government be frightening
> law-abiding businesses away from holding legal events like rock, country,
> electronic music or Hip Hop concerts.
>
> We strongly urge you to remove Section 305 from the CLEAN-UP Act. This
section
> is too broadly written, is a threat to free speech and musical expression,
and
> will undoubtedly harm innocent business owners. We appreciate your efforts
to
> reduce drug abuse and hope you can address our concerns.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Fax
> Please complete this form to let us know if your organization can sign on
to
> this sign on letter. Fax it back to Bill Piper at 202-216-0803 by Monday,
> January 19th. Or e-mail your name, company's name, and contact info to
> bpiper at drugpolicy.org <mailto:bpiper at drugpolicy.org>.
>
> To:    Bill Piper    From:
> Fax:    202-216-0803    Pages:    1
> Phone:    202-216-0035    Date:
> Re:    H.R. 834    CC:
>
> (Please Print)
> Contact Name: _____________________________________________
>
> Title:                  _____________________________________________
>
> Company:   _____________________________________________
>
> Address:         _____________________________________________
>                          _____________________________________________
>
> Phone:         __________________ Fax:    ___________________
>
> E-mail:         _____________________________________________
>
>
> *      Add my company to this sign-on letter.
>
> *      My company cannot sign this sign-on letter, but please keep me
informed
on
> this issue.
>
>
>
>
>
>

------ End of Forwarded Message