Rave Act of 2011 (AB74)

The following is the silliest anti-rave legislation I've ever seen. Look carefully at the wording... this applies to everyone who:

• plays any recorded music (including Musak, country rock, etc)


• at "night" (between sunset and sunrise"


• during an event that lasts more than 3 hours (not necessarily all at night)


• not in a bar or sports arena.

So, any club that doesn't serve alcohol, most restaurants, and any kind of dance instruction (like Sr night polka dancing) would all be breaking the law. Every time a store has a sale (ie "event") and has musac plying, all night prayer vigils, and congressional meetings where the national anthem is played are all in violation. While it's fresh in my mind, EVERY New year's eve party would probably break this law.

Movie studios could only operate during daytime hours. Heck, Ralphs, Vons and Home Depot all played Xmas music well after dark. Oooh, yeah, Let's not forget halloween. Most of those parks and spook-houses have some kind of music running for 5-6 hours at least. And at the extreme silly end of the interpretation chain, a ladies' sewing circle plays Fox news in the background all afternoon, but happens to run a few minutes after sundown would be in total violation if Fox plays ANY kind of pre-recorded music. Speaking of fox, how about those late-running all-day football fests. Those are events and what beer commercial doesn't have some music....

This bill is ill-conceived, and ill intended. The fallout from this could be immense if passed. But if people know that it's coming, it won't stand a chance. Forget telling your raver friends, tell everyone who ever listens to music and does anything at night.

New Rave Act (AB74)

Assemblywoman Fiona Ma proposed legislation yesterday to ban large electronic music events in California. In her own words “The introduction of AB 74 is the first step toward eliminating these dangerous events”. Read the full text of the proposed legislation at the end of this email.

Fiona Ma's legislation is just one part of a larger agenda by the police and policy makers to shut down electronic music events in California. Our music and culture is being discriminated against and if we don't stand up and fight, they will succeed.

Thanks very much for your time! You can find the proposed legislation here:
*
*

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Anti-Raves Act of 2011.

SEC. 2. Section 421 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
421. (a) Any person who conducts a public event at night that
includes prerecorded music and lasts more than three and one-half
hours is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of ten thousand
dollars ($10,000) or twice the actual or estimated gross receipts
for the event, whichever is greater.

(b) Subdivision (a) shall not apply to a public event on private
property if the entity that conducts the public event has a business
license to operate a bar, club, theater, entertainment venue, or
other similar business, or to conduct sporting events, and conducting
the public event is consistent with the business license.

(c) For purposes of this section, "night" means that period
between sunset and sunrise.

SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because
the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school
district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or
infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty
for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the
Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the
meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitutio