Anti-Rave Bill Floating Around In U.S. Senate

The United States Senate is poised to pass legislation that would give federal prosecutors new powers to shut down raves or other musical events and punish innocent business men and women for hosting or promoting them.

The bill, known as the Reducing American's Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act (RAVE Act), was introduced in the Senate on June 18 and has already passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. It is moving very rapidly and could be passed by the Senate soon.

Worse still, the Senate leadership considers this draconian drug war bill to be so uncontroversial that they are trying to pass it under "unanimous consent" rules, which will mean no debate and no real vote.

S. 2633, sponsored by Senators Durbin (D-IL), Hatch (R-UT), Grassley (R-IA) and Leahy (D-VT), would greatly expand the so-called "crack house statute" and potentially subject innocent business men and women to enormous fines if customers sold or used drugs on their premises or at their events – even if they were not involved in the offenses in any way.

If the bill becomes law, property owners, promoters, and event coordinators could be fined hundreds of thousands of dollars if they hold raves or other events on their property. This bill is a part of a Justice Department strategy to halt all musical events they don't like, such as raves.