A bill that would have instituted new rules regarding the reselling of tickets to sporting and cultural events has been killed.
Sen. Paul Doyle, D-Wethersfield, and Reps. Joseph Taborsak, D-Danbury, and Rosa Rebimbas, R-Naugatuck, held a press conference this morning to announce they pulling the proposal. "In today's economic environment, we do not want to pass legislation [when] we are not sure of its full impact on the business community and also the rights of...consumers,'' Rebimbas said.
The lawmakers said they will be looking for guidance from the state Department of Consumer Protection.
In a letter to DCP Commissioner William Rubenstein, the lawmakers asked for a breakdown of complaints regarding ticket sales, ticket prices, venue behavior and practices, ticket broker behavior and practices and paperless ticket sales.
The bill would have set new rules on ticket sales, allowing Connecticut consumers to trade, give away or resell tickets to concerts, games and other events. It would have guaranteed consumers the right to dispose of tickets as they see fit and prohibit those who operate entertainment venues from turning away people with resold tickets.
TicketNetwork, an online ticket exchange company, has filed a lawsuit accusing the Bushnell's president of slander for allegedly making disparaging remarks about the Vernon-based company during a legislative hearing on a bill that would set new rules on ticket sales. TicketNetwork alleges that David Fay, president of the Horace Bushnell Memorial Hall Corp. in Hartford, made several disparaging comments about the company and its chief executive, Donald Vaccaro, according to the lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Hartford.