Baltimore Ticket Law Amended

Councilman Carl Stokes introduced a bill June 3 that would have created a tiered system to cap fees on ticket prices. The measure set out to limit fees to 15 percent of the first $50 of a ticket, an additional 10 percent for the next $50 to $150 and another 5 percent for amounts larger than that.

The bill would have also required ticket sellers to disclose the complete price of a ticket including fees up front.

But local venues and sports teams cried foul over the introduction of the measure, which they claimed would put the city at a disadvantage when it came to competing for events.

A number of amendments were reportedly added to the bill during a committee hearing. Stokes, who along with one other council member voted no at the July 15 meeting, told the online journal the bill had been “gutted” to the point of being “useless.” The measure now moves to a final vote.