Hannah Montana Crisis Fits the Bill

Minnesota passes Hannah Montana bill, outlawing computer programs that buy up blocks of concert tickets

By Gina Serpe Apr 29, 2008 3:48 PMTags
Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert TourNancy Kaszerman/ZUMA Press

Her name may be Hannah Montana, but Minnesota is clearly more her state.

While Miley Cyrus is hiding out through her latest PR rough patch, her alter ego—with a little help from the state legislature—is doing her best to make parental amends enough for the both of them.

Minnesota has become the first state to overwhelmingly pass the so-called Hannah Montana bill, making it a gross misdemeanor to use, own or sell computer programs that enable vendors to buy up blocks of tickets for concerts or other major events before the rest of public.

The bill was inspired by last summer's Hannah Montana mania, when tickets for Cyrus' double-billed Best of Both Worlds Tour were snapped up within minutes and resold on ticket-exchange sites at exorbitant prices.

A similar measure failed to pass muster in Florida this week, possibly becoming the deciding factor in the state's all-important (yet sadly ineligible) tween vote. Although Democrats backed the bill, calling it a pro-consumer issue, Republicans put the kibosh on the measure, claiming it was antibusiness.

Looks like it's Obama for Hannah.