Massachusetts Gov. To Tackle Ticketing Reform With ‘The Great Divide Act’

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is pushing to make the Bay State the latest to take on ticketing reform and she’s getting some help from Noah Kahan.

“An Act Relative to Closing the Great Divide between Ticket Prices and Affordability,” or “The Great Divide Act” — a nod to Kahan’s latest album and tour — will be included in the closeout supplemental budget she submits to the General Court, the Commonwealth’s legislature.

The proposal echoes similar state-level bills in Maine and Vermont. It caps the resale price of concert tickets at 110% of face value and limits the service fees and charges that can be charged by ticket resellers to no more than 10% of the total price. It bans speculative tickets and prohibits the use of deceptive websites, in addition to other consumer protection measures.

“Far too many Massachusetts residents have experienced the pain of being excited to buy tickets to see their favorite singer or sports team, only to realize that resale prices and fees have driven up the cost to outrageous levels,” Healey said. “Or how about when you do purchase tickets from a reseller, only to get to the venue to realize the seller never actually transfers them to you? Enough is enough. We are taking action to lower ticket resale prices so Massachusetts fans can better afford to see their favorite performer or team.”

Kahan joined the press conference virtually.

“I heard about what you’re announcing today and I just wanted to let you know how excited I am about it. The artist community and fans will greatly benefit from limiting ticket scalping and the sales of speculative tickets,” he said. “I love my fans and want to protect them however I can. Artists alone could not tackle the market manipulation of secondary resellers. So, thank you so much for making this a priority in Massachusetts.”

The National Independent Venue Association, which has ramped up efforts at state-level legislation as federal reforms continue to languish, lauded the proposal.

“The days of predatory resellers profiting at the expense of fans, artists, and independent stages is beginning to come to an end,” said Stephen Parker, NIVA executive director. “In just the past week, we’ve seen yet another state embrace resale price caps and commonsense protections to keep tickets in the hands of real fans. Governor Healey’s proposal is a major step toward protecting fans by capping excessive ticket resale markups and cracking down on other predatory resale practices. By curbing excessive markups, speculative ticket sales, and deceptive resale tactics, this legislation also strengthens the independent venues, festivals, and promoters that make Massachusetts’ live entertainment community thrive. We commend Governor Healey and Noah Kahan for their leadership and look forward to working alongside the Healey Administration, lawmakers, Massachusetts independent stages, and coalition partners to get these protections across the finish line.”