A California assemblywoman on a quest to end raves was surprised to find that electronic dance music could not be outlawed. Democratic Assemblywoman Fiona Ma tried to ban the music after a 15-year-old girl died at The Electric Daisy Carnival in Los Angeles, apparently from an ecstasy overdose.

“We found out later on that, constitutionally, you can not ban a type of music,” she told Reason.TV.

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In January, Ma introduced legislation to the California legislature, the Anti-Raves Act of 2011, that would have made conducting an event that includes prerecorded music and lasts more than three and one-half hours a misdemeanor offense with a $10,000 penalty.

The bill was amended six times, eventually becoming the Concert and Music Festival Safety Act, and signed into law by California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) on October 9. The law requires that state agencies conduct a threat assessment for any large event held on state property — not just raves.

But Ma suggested that as part of that threat assessment, state agencies could prohibit events from allowing people to bring items typically associated with the rave culture, such as LED gloves and pacifiers.

“I believe with the new secretary, the new people appointed to these boards, more sophistication in terms of what raves are, the safer they will be,” Ma said. “Can’t wear gloves with lights, you can’t walk around with stuffed animals.”

Watch video, courtesy of Reason.TV, below: