NEWS - Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Reaction To California Bill
Important Association Reacts to CA Bill California assemblyman Leeland Yee’s A.B. 1179, which bans the sale of inappropriate videogames to minors and imposes fines on those who break the law, was recently signed by the CA state governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. [STORY] Today the retailers respond. In a prepared statement, Hal Halpin, Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association president, said, "We were disappointed that Governor Schwarzenegger signed A.B. 1179 into law. Given his tireless speeches about taking the politics out of lawmaking and prohibiting government waste of valuable taxpayer dollars, this decision seems counter to that message. It is clear that this course will lead only to this law, like all previous efforts to alter the First Amendment regarding violent video games, being overturned -- yielding no significant change and squandering much-needed resources. "IEMA retailers are already voluntarily committed to inhibiting the sale of Mature-rated games, not unlike the successful self-regulatory efforts of the motion picture business. We would have hoped that legislators would work proactively with the industry to help educate parents about the ratings system, and are disheartened to learn that this politicization of the issue is instead becoming an opportunistic trend. We remain supportive of the ESRB and stand ready to aid the ESA in their lawsuits, as we have done in the past."Source: http://www.ign.com
