Lobbying by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) appears to have made headway. After the organization launched a campaign called #SaveOurStages in June, two U.S. senators have introduced a $10 billion bill of the same name to aid independent venues.
Senators John Cornyn of Texas and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota (the latter of whom formerly ran as presidential candidate) co-authored the Save Our Stages Act. If passed, it would distribute grants of $12 million or 45% of a venue’s 2019 operating costs, whichever is lower. The bill’s language is intended to “narrowly define independent live venue operators, promoters, and talent representatives to prevent large, international corporations from receiving federal grant funding.”
“The warning light is flashing red and our only hope is for legislation like Save Our Stages Act or RESTART Act to be passed before Congress goes on August recess,” said NIVA President Dayna Frank in a quote obtained by 5 Magazine. “Otherwise, most businesses in this industry will collapse.”
Proponents of the Save Our Stages Act and RESTART Act have made it easy for anyone to cast their support by filling out a form on the NIVA website.
Image credit: Long Truong
