La. Governor Urged to Veto Record Law

Members of the music industry in Louisiana Thursday urged Gov. Buddy Roemer to veto a record-labeling law and to allow dealers to voluntarily control what records minors can buy.

“Our plan is to have every record dealer in the state voluntarily sign a pledge that they will not sell records with explicit lyrics to minors,” said Shea Dixon, a lawyer and businessman who has been working to persuade the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to build its proposed Grammy Hall of Fame in New Orleans.

“That’s pretty much what’s being done now. This just formalizes it,” Dixon said.

Record dealers told a news conference that they have a standing policy of not selling minors records that deal with sex, drugs or violence.

State Sen. William Jefferson said the legislation awaiting Roemer’s action is unconstitutional. Dealers said it’s confusing.

“This law is so broadly drawn we’re not sure what’s off limits. It could ban everything from Frank Sinatra to Hank Williams,” said William L. Berry, president of Warehouse Records and Tapes.

The Record Industry Assn. of America voluntary labeling system that went into use July 1 effectively singles out explicit records, said Freddie Szilagi, manager of Tower Records in New Orleans.

“We don’t sell explicit records to minors but under this law we couldn’t even have them out on the shelf. I’d have to cordon off a section of my store that would be for adults only,” Szilagi said.