Banning Video Games

The California legislature passed AB 1179 that penalizes the sale of violent video games to minors. The same legislators who voted for this are also opposed to all attempts at increased penalties for convicted sex offenders, voted against the people's will to uphold marriage, and oppose most structural reform to improve schools. California Democrats are only for the children if it involves spending money. Do they think that violent video games are more dangerous than having sex offenders living next door?

But this is really an anti-business bill. This will place a special extra burden on video game creators and retailers. Video games are a big part of California's high-tech computer industry. But even Silicon Valley's own legislators are trying to punish one of their best high-paying employers. Schwarzenegger may veto this, but Democrats will claim that it is a conflict of interest because he appears in Terminator video games.

Update: (9/15)
The Sacramento Bee reports that Schwarzenegger is likely to veto AB 1179. Also, apparently his game is not affected by the bill.

Taking any action on Yee's Assembly Bill 1179 could create the perception of conflict for Schwarzenegger. If Schwarzenegger signs the bill to ban the sale of certain "violent" video games to anyone younger than 17, he could be seen as eliminating videos that compete with his own "Terminator 3: The Redemption."

He will probably be attacked for conflict of interest either way, since the truth has never mattered in anti-Schwarzenegger ads.

The bill's author, Leland Yee, definitively claims that violent games harm children. Yee was also the author of a bill attempting to mandate Feng Shui in building codes last year.