Earlier this year, LD 913 was introduced that would have given fans the right to transfer their tickets. Then, the monopoly and its venue partners hijacked the bill and turned it into a bill that caps resale prices, which exposes Maine’s sports fans to immense amounts of fraud. In response, thousands of Mainers stood up. They wrote, called, and emailed their legislators with a clear message: “Reject LD 913.” And what did the Maine Legislature do? They ignored them. They sided with Ticketmaster and its allies instead of the fans who simply want a fair chance to see their favorite teams, artists, and events live.

We recently fired up fans across New York with our rally cry: "Big Ticket Comes for the Big Apple." Our message was loud and clear: fans deserve a fair and transparent system, not one that forces them back to street corners to buy tickets. As the legislative session nears the end, it’s clear: progress won’t win today—not yet, anyway.

New York has long been a standard-bearer in ticketing law — a beacon for fans who just want a fair shot at seeing their favorite teams, artists, and events without jumping through rigged hoops or getting price-gouged by Big Ticket. Now, the Legislature is considering A8651/S8221, a bill that could take things to the next level — if they fix some major flaws that hand even more power to monopolies like Live Nation/Ticketmaster and their proxies.

What’s happening to sports fans right now should outrage every ticket holder in America.

Across the country, die-hard supporters — some of whom have shelled out for season tickets for decades — are being punished for something as simple as trying to recoup costs by reselling a few seats. Whether it's the Denver Broncos “bucking” loyal fans, the Detroit Lions revoking lifetime memberships, or the Green Bay Packers blacklisting ticket holders who can’t make the game, we’re witnessing a disturbing trend: teams acting like monopolies and punishing fans for transferring their rightfully purchased tickets. 

There’s an old saying in politics: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” And unfortunately for Maine’s sports fans, that’s exactly what happened with LD 913. When LD 913 was first introduced, we cheered!  The bill was clear, simple, and absolutely necessary: it aimed to protect your right to use, gift, or resell your ticket without interference. In other words—it made sure that when you buy a ticket, you own it. Period.

Today, the TICKET Act (HB 1402) passed the House of Representatives 409-15, marking the second time the bill has passed the House with enormous bipartisan support. Last year, the vote was 388-24, but this year, the bill gained support despite a massive opposition effort by industry special interests.

Once again, ticketing policy takes center stage in Washington, DC. Last week, President Trump signed an Executive Order “to protect fans from exploitative ticket scalping and bring commonsense reforms to America’s live entertainment ticketing industry.” Today, the House Energy & Commerce Committee marked up the TICKET Act (H.R. 1402), a bipartisan, fan-first bill that could forever change how we buy tickets online. The bill passed the committee by voice vote. The only ‘no’ vote was by Congresswoman Clarke and it was not based on the substance of the bill but in protest of broader political dynamics.