LOS ANGELES : Wisconsin Congressman to Offer Bill on Ticket Sales

A Wisconsin congressman wants to make sure that if the Badgers ever make it back to the Rose Bowl, fans traveling West for the game will take in more than the sights.

U.S. Rep. Scott L. Klug, a Republican who represents the Madison area, said Tuesday that he plans to introduce legislation to force charter operators to have tickets on hand before advertising package deals to sporting events.

Hundreds of University of Wisconsin fans who bought tour packages for this year’s Rose Bowl were told upon arrival that because of heavier-than-expected demand, their tour operators had failed to secure game tickets that were supposed to be a part of the package.

Some of these fans paid scalpers’ rates--several hundred dollars a ticket in some cases--to see the game anyway.

The bill, which Klug has dubbed the “Badger Fan Protection Act,” would put the U.S. Department of Transportation in charge of ensuring that charter operators’ promises of tickets are legitimate.