Steven Tyler To Testify At Hawaii Hearing on Celebrity Privacy
Steven Tyler will attend a legislative hearing on Feb. 8 in Hawaii to support a bill that would limit the paparazzi's ability to take candid celebrity images and videos.
The Steven Tyler Act, named after the rock star, will protect stars from the paparazzi and impose stiffer punishment on photographers who interfere with celebrities while on the island.
The state's Senate Judiciary Committee will consider the proposed bill this morning, making it the first time that legislators will publically discuss the bill.
According to The Associated Press, a publicist for the former "American Idol" judge told them on Thursday that Tyler submitted testimony in favor of the bill and its provisions, which allows celebrities to seek damages from the paparazzi who invades their personal or family moments for photographs.
Dozens of celebrities have supported Tyler, including Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears and The Osbournes, and they have all submitted testimony in favor of the proposed bill.
"Providing a remedy to the often-egregious acts of the paparazzi is a very notable incentive to purchase property or vacation on the islands," the stars said. "Not only would this help the local economy, but it would also help ensure the safety of the general public, which can be threatened by crowds of cameramen or dangerous high-speed car chases,"
Senator Kalani English, of Maui, introduced the bill at the behest of Aerosmith frontman Tyler, who has a million dollar home in Maui. More than two-thirds of the state's senators have endorsed the act.
Others consider the bill to go against First Amendment rights. The National Press Photographers Association said this bill is "well-meaning but ill-conceived" and stamp on constitutional rights.
According to Laurie Temple, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), she said that the bill would punish freedoms of expression protected by the First Amendment. Temple added that lawmakers should support better enforcement of current stalking laws rather than passing new legislation.
