RAVE Act Passes

[DaVe]

Received by Clubplanet:

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Dear Members, Subscribers and Friends,

I do not normally use our alert channel to send a personal message.

However, I wanted to let you know that the Illicit Drug Anti- Proliferation Act (also called the "RAVE Act"), which was attached to

the AMBER Alert bill, passed both the House and Senate late yesterday

(April 10).

The RAVE Act threatens free speech and musical expression while

placing at risk any hotel/motel owner, concert promoter, event

organizer, nightclub owner or arena/stadium owner for the drug

violations of 3rd parties - real or alleged - even if the event

promoter and/or property owner made a good-faith effort to keep their

event drug-free. It applies not just to electronic-music parties,

but to any type of public gathering, including theatrical

productions, rock concerts, DJ nights at local bars, and potentially

even political rallies. It gives heightened powers and discretion to

prosecutors, who may use it to target events they personally don't

like - such as Hip-Hop events and gay and lesbian fundraisers.

Sadly, the RAVE Act was added to the AMBER Alert bill conference

report at the very last minute by Senator Biden (D-DE), its original

sponsor. The AMBER Alert bill creates a system for responding to

child abduction. It has nothing to do with drug policy. The RAVE

Act had not passed even a single committee in the House or Senate

this year. One senator's pet issue made a mockery of the Democratic

process - becoming law without any public hearing or opportunity for

input whatsoever.

You should be aware that your letters and faxes clearly had an

effect. (FYI - you sent Congress 13,000 faxes this week alone!!)

For example, the word "rave" was removed from the version of the bill

that passed. Eliminating such blatant discrimination is a victory

for our continued freedom of speech. Also, the original bill

suggested that prosecutors should view the sale of water and the

presence of glowsticks or massage oil as evidence of drug use. These

ludicrous "findings" were completely removed thanks to you.

President Bush will sign this child abduction bill, which means the

RAVE Act will become law as well. We will be working with the

legislators who opposed this provision - such as Senators Durbin,

Kennedy and Leahy and Representatives Conyers and Scott - for its

repeal. In the meantime, however, it is up to all of us to be the

watchdogs of its enforcement.

Attorney General John Ashcroft will have to make decisions about its

enforcement priority among the many public safety issues the

Department of Justice handles. He must be held responsible when he

implements this scheme. We want him to know that he is not free to

shut down our dance clubs, our festivals and our freedoms. We will

be watching the activities of law enforcement and prosecutors, and we

will act when our rights are violated. You can help us by faxing

Attorney General Ashcroft here.

http://actioncenter.drugpolicy.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=1581

We thank our many partners in this effort for your hard work: EM:DEF,

ROAR, Buzzlife Productions, Davey D., electronic dance and music

organizations throughout the U.S., club owners, hotel organizations,

beverage and licensing groups, the ACLU and many, many others. But

most of all, I want to say thank you personally to our members and

supporters.

You truly deserve credit for reacting so quickly and so forcefully.

It has really been amazing. When Bill McColl, our Director of

National Affairs, told me about this issue last June he said that he

thought the RAVE Act would pass in about 2 weeks. You proved us

wrong. It took 10 months, a change in control of the Senate,

backroom maneuverings and substantial changes to the bill. I'm

proud of the hard work of our members, friends and our coalition.

Rest assured we will continue to work together to mobilize opposition

and advocate to fix this dangerous law.

Sincerely,

Ethan Nadelmann

Executive Director

Drug Policy Alliance

[bane2k2]

I tryed what I could do to contact my cousin who is a US Congressman... But, I hear I was not in time.. either way I was sure to directly voice the opinion of the "Rave" community to at least one member of the United States Congress... I will post the response I get from him, after the fact of course, but I am personally interested in what he will say... Sorry to hear this Unconstitutional act would be passed... good day.

[tottallyoff]

So what now? How long before they are revoking every club's cabaret license?

[wideskies]

too bad a goodly portion of people who go to clubs and do drugs couldn't care less if that particular club was shut down because of their actions...

[aphelion]

i think this is good

the scene can now go back underground...

thank you