By AMY HARDER
Legislation making it a misdemeanor to scalp inauguration tickets passed the Senate Tuesday night. The bill [PDF], sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., failed last month when a gambit to win quick passage in the Senate ran out of time.
Gil Duran, communications director for Feinstein, said she is now reaching out to the House to get quick passage there as well so that the bill could be signed into law by Barack Obama's inauguration. Acknowledging that it may be too late, Duran said the legislation "could have an effect on this inauguration, but it's also something that's necessary to protect the integrity of future inaugurals."
Duran said he was aware that inaugural parade tickets -- which sold out online in less than a minute on Friday -- are being scalped. He distinguished, however, between those tickets and passes for the swearing-in ceremony. The former are handled by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, a private entity, whereas the latter are managed by Congress.
