Would Fiona Ma's New Year's Bash Violate Her Own Anti-Rave Bill?

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Rave while you can, kids...

​Assemblywoman Fiona Ma is well on her way to establishing a reputation as Party Crasher No. 1 after authoring the self-explanatory "Anti-Raves Act of 2011."

In the wake of May's Pop the Dream event at the Cow Palace that left two event-goers dead of drug overdoses (and 16,998 or so not dead), Ma is hoping to pull the plug on large, drug-fueled parties.

But would she be killing her own party? The Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore is hosting a "New Year's Bash" featuring a DJ this year in San Francisco. Since her proposed ban targets events with "prerecorded music" that last "more than 3 1/2 hours," is Ma busted?

Not quite.

The first thing one noticed about Ma's rave-busting bill is that it applies to "public events." While this may cause great problems for, say, the Outside Lands Festival, it won't impede on her New Year's shindig. You're paying between $100 and $500 to wear a silly hat with Fiona this year, and the event is in a private restaurant.

Even if Ma's night out was free, it still wouldn't qualify as an evil rave. Per her bill:

[This bill] shall not apply to a public event on private property if the entity that conducts the public event has a business license to operate a bar, club, theater, entertainment venue, or other similar business, or to conduct sporting events, and conducting the public event is consistent with the business license.

So there you have it. You can pay good money, attend Fiona Ma's bash, take ecstasy, and dance like a prick. And you won't be violating any new laws. 

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