California state senator Leland Yee is currently working to screw over both gamers and Californians in general. Yee’s goal seems to be to breathe life back into Californian initiatives to pass laws banning the sale of violent video games to minors. Such a law would only work to cost the state of California money, and California is not in a position where it has all that much money left.
Every time a law is passed to regulate the sale of violent video games, it is always struck down by the courts. Back in 2007, one Judge Whyte got rid of the original law in California, nothing that there is no real evidence implying that violent video games make children into societal menaces. When a similar law was struck down in Michigan, the judge in that case noted that not only is the data non-existent, but any such law is a violation of the First Amendment; a law which prohibits freedom of expression is unconstitutional.
Economically these laws make no sense because they just cost the state money. A group of some sort is bound to sue the state and win its case. I said this a while back, but it’s worth saying again: the state will have to cough up a lot of money for legal fees, and that includes what it will have to pay to reimburse the victorious party. In the case of Illinois, that meant taking money away from medical programs. So good job, Mr. Yee. If you’re a Californian, please call up your local rep and get him or her to fight against this law. It’ll save you tax money in the long run.
