Bill To Regulate Rock Concerts Hits Wrong Note

A bill that would make it illegal to have unassigned seating in concerts died in the House Judiciary Committee on Friday.

The measure would have affected any indoor concert with more than 2,000 ticket-holders. Two Boise legislators and the regional Parent-Teacher Association had proposed it as a way to ensure safety for youngsters who attend rock concerts.

Rep. Jim Clark, R-Hayden, opposed the bill, saying it’s not appropriate for the government to regulate the concert industry like that.

“What is the role of government in this?” he asked.

Only one other state, Rhode Island, has such a law. Ohio passed one but it was overturned in court. Several cities, including Cincinnati and Salt Lake City, ban so-called “festival seating” by city ordinance.

Rep. Frank Bruneel, R-Lewiston, said that he felt that the PTA should approach individual cities with its ideas. “The industry can self-police itself,” said Bruneel. “There is not a need for a state law to do this. … Here we go automatically assuming the Big Brother role.”

Concert promoters also said the bill was unnecessary. Charlie Spencer, general manager of the Boise State University Pavilion, said the concert industry would go out of business if it didn’t look out for the safety of its customers.

If the bill had passed it would have affected more than just rock concerts. Events like the annual fiddle festival in Weiser and the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho would have been adversely affected, said Marty Peterson, assistant to the president at UI.

The bill also could have affected other Northwest concert venues. Spencer said bands that don’t like the law and detour around Idaho might skip venues in surrounding states, including Spokane, as they reroute their tours.

David Meyer, a PTA member, said the issue was safety. He urged the committee to have the foresight to pass the bill before some child gets trampled and killed in the rush for choice seats.

Meyer’s concern stemmed from a rock concert that was held last spring in Boise with festival seating. Parents were concerned that the unstructured atmosphere was dangerous to children who were attending.

, DataTimes