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ruby
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Mar 14, 2005, 7:13 PM
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Illinois Set to Ban Some Video Games?
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Gov. Rod Blagojevich's proposal to bar stores from selling violent and sexually explicit video games to children unanimously passed an Illinois House committee Wednesday, despite concerns that it might be unconstitutional.
Under the proposal, which now goes to the House floor, any store that violated the ban could face misdemeanor charges and fines of up to $5,000. Blagojevich has been pushing the idea for several months, arguing in town hall meetings and national interviews that the games desensitize children to violence. He says they can lead to anti-social behavior and even obesity. But courts have struck down similar laws in Washington, Missouri and Indiana as too broad and in violation of free speech.
Even some lawmakers who voted for the bill said they were concerned it is too vague. The legislation requires stores to label violent or sexually explicit games with black-and-white stickers reading "18." Stores would have the burden of figuring out which games could legally be sold to minors and which couldn't.
David Vite, president of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, said the legislation's restrictions on games depicting "human on human violence" could mean that stores can be fined for selling football games to teenagers. He also questioned the sincerity of the bill's supporters, suggesting they fear that voting against the measure would hurt them in future elections.
Harvard University professor Michael Rich argued Blagojevich's position before the committee Wednesday, saying the law is necessary because kids may act out in real life the violent or sexual behaviors they practice in virtual reality.
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The Omniscient
/ Moderator
Jun 4, 2005, 4:59 AM
Post #2 of 2
(878 views)
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Illinois Bans Violent Video Games
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Legislators in Illinois voted to institute a ban on the sale of violent and sexually explicit video and computer games to minors. The House voted 106-6 in favor of the bill, and sends it to the state’s Democratic governor. Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who initially proposed the measure, is expected to sign it into law.
Similiar legislation passed in Washington state, Indiana and Missouri has been struck down by federal courts, who have considered those bans to violate the terms of the First Amendment. Although the bill’s viability in the face of First Amendment opposition raised fierce debate on the House floor, those problems seemed of little consequence to some of the Illinois lawmakers who support the measure. “… if it goes to court, it goes to court. We’ve done what we were supposed to do,� said Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago), as reported by The Chicago Tribune.
The Illinois measure, known as HB4023, would fine retailers $1,000 if they knowingly sell adult video games to anyone under the age of 18. The legislation lets the retailers themselves determine what games are too violent or sexually graphic for minors to play, though many expect the retailers to follow the ratings system instituted by the Electronic Software Ratings Board (ESRB).
The ESRB rates most of the video games sold in the United States, and
applies ratings that include E for Everyone, T for Teen and M for
Mature. Five of the top 20 selling video games for 2004 were M-rated,
including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Halo 2. Likewise, five of
the top 20 selling computer games for 2004 were M-rated, including Doom
3 and Half-Life 2 — although the best-selling computer game of the year
was The Sims 2, which is T-rated.
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