By Ezra Lloyd
The fight for our independent venues has made it Capitol Hill
U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have introduced the Save Our Stages Act, or SOS for short, a bipartisan bill endorsed by the National Independent Venue Association or (NIVA of short) which would provide Small Business Administration grants for independent live music venue operators affected by COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.
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These grants are vital to keeping independent venues afloat in the seemingly never-ending coronavirus pandemic we are in. These grants would provide at least six months of financial support to keep venues alive by paying employees and preserving this all-to-critical economic sector for communities across America during the Coronavirus Pandemic.
“Texas is home to a number of historic and world-class small entertainment venues, many of which remain shuttered after being the first businesses to close,” said Sen. Cornyn. “The culture around Texas dance halls and live music has shaped generations, and this legislation would give them the resources to reopen their doors and continue educating and inspiring Texans beyond the coronavirus pandemic.”
“Minnesota’s concert halls, theatres, and places of entertainment, like First Avenue in Minneapolis, where Prince famously performed, have inspired generations with the best of local music, art, and education,” Sen. Klobuchar said. “This legislation would help ensure that small entertainment venues can continue to operate, and serve our communities for generations to come.”
90% of venue owners, promoters, and bookers are reporting that they are at risk of closing due to the Coronavirus Pandemic if financial assistance doesn’t arrive soon. They are also anticipating an estimated $9 billion in losses should ticket sales not resume until 2021.
The SOS Act would:
- Narrowly define independent live venue operators, promoters, and talent representatives to prevent large, international corporations from receiving federal grant funding.
- Direct the SBA to make grants to eligible venues equal to either 45% of their operating costs from the calendar year 2019 or $12 million.
- Allow the Small Business Administration to issue supplemental grants in the future if funding remains available and applicants can demonstrate a need for it.
- Permit recipients to use grants for costs incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Require recipients to return remaining funds after one year from the date of disbursement
- Beneficiaries of the Save Our Stages Act are to use grants for rent, utilities, mortgage obligations, PPE procurement, payments to contractors, regular maintenance, administrative costs, taxes, operating leases, and capital expenditures related to meeting state, local, or federal social distancing guidelines
- Authorize the appropriation of $10 billion for the grant program.
- The Save Our Stages Act is endorsed by the National Independent Venue Association NIVA and the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO).
Next Steps:
It’s time that we all reach out to our Congressional leaders to garner support for this bill, wherever you live. Independent venues are the lifeblood of many communities, not just in regards to culture, but also economically. To get through COVID without losing our shared culture and community we are going to need to let Congress know how we feel.
Action Items for Colorado Specifically:
Senator Michael Bennet: 202-224-5852 (DC Office) or email a request for support here: https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/?p=contact
Senator Cory Gardner: 202-224-5941 (DC Office) or email a request for support here: https://www.gardner.senate.gov/contact-cory/email-cory
Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CD-1): 202-225-4431 or email a request for support here: https://degette.house.gov/contact/send-me-an-email/email-me
Congressman Joe Neguse (CD-2): 202-225-2161 (DC Office) or email a request for support here: https://neguse.house.gov/contact
Congressman Scott Tipton (CD-3): 202-225-4761 (DC Office) or email a request for support here: https://tipton.house.gov/contact/email
Congressman Ken Buck (CD-4): 202-225-4676 (DC Office) or email a request for support here: https://buck.house.gov/contact
Congressman Doug Lamborn (CD-5): 202-225-4422 (DC Office) or email a request for support here: https://lamborn.house.gov/contact
Congressman Jason Crow (CD-6): 202-225-7882(DC Office) or email a request for support here: https://crow.house.gov/contact
Congressman Ed Perlmutter (CD-7): 202-225-2645 (DC Office) or email a request for support here: https://perlmutter.house.gov/forms/writeyourrep/
