The Met wants to force out-of-state visitors to pay

The Met is facing a deficit that's now about $15 million, which is why it wants to charge an admission fee, but not everyone who goes will be paying it.

Right now, if you want to step foot inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, you pay whatever you want even though there is a "suggested fee of $25.” However, that can soon change for non-New Yorkers.

The city is reviewing a plan that would allow the Met to force out-of-state visitors to pay the $25 entrance fee.

According to the New York Times, the Metropolitan Museum of Art filed a formal proposal.

The proposal is a bit controversial. The Met is, in part, supported by taxpayer money, and many argue this violates an 1893 state law mandating that the museum "shall be kept open and accessible to the public free of all charge throughout the year."

The museum has had legal troubles in the past. It faced two lawsuits because of the wording on the signs about the admission fee. It pressured visitors to pay $25 even though under the museums policy they could pay whatever they wish to. Last year, it reached a settlement, and it has to tell visitors the amount they pay is up to them even though a $25 admission charge is "suggested" instead of "recommended."