![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=91.6){kind=small}
If Rep. David Hogue (R) has his way - and so far he's on a roll - it will soon be a felony to provide a violent video game to a minor in the state of Utah.
As reported by the Salt Lake Tribune, Hogue's bill, HB257, passed the state House of Representatives by a 56-8 vote yesterday. The measure equates violent games with pornography, and would add such games to a Utah statute normally used only to prosecute those who provide smut to kids.
Hogue linked violent games to school shootings, including Columbine.
"Would these same kids have done this anyway without watching violent videos? Maybe not."
Hogue also mentioned Resident Evil 4, the Grand Theft Auto series and Rockstar's upcoming Bully to the Tribune.
"You can get even with bullies. You take a baseball bat and beat up their heads," he said. "It is going to show kids how to respond in school. Is this what we want our kids doing?"
Games which violate the proposed law would need to be "patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community" and lack any serious "literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors."
Republican Rep. Scott Wyatt opined that only the "most depraved" video games would fall under this bill. However, Republican Rep. Margaret Dayton and Democratic Rep. Ross Romero had concerns over the bill's constitutionality.
For his part, Hogue expressed confidence the measure would survive First Amendment challenges. "It will set an example that Utah is a family state," he said.
HB257 will now be considered by the Utah State Senate.
UPDATE: A little more on Hogue's bill can be found in the Provo Daily Herald, including this quote from Republican Rep. Lorie Fowlke:
"I think it is worth a try. Otherwise we give up and say the court will always determine our values."
GP: Here on GamePolitics we have been tracking Hogue's bill closely. As recently as last Sunday we noted an op-ed piece by a pair of well-known First Amendment law scholars who judged HB257 unconstitutional.
← Ctrl← Alt
Ctrl →Alt →
February 24 2006, 13:45:33 UTC 6 years ago
How can...
This prove that Utah is a family state by taking choices away from families and into the hands of legislation?That doesn't make sense.
February 24 2006, 15:15:40 UTC 6 years ago
Re: How can...
Sure it does. They're one big family who hate the Constitution.February 24 2006, 13:46:20 UTC 6 years ago
Attention attention attention, what more can they ask for?
I mean really, David Hogue is really gonna getting on people's nerves and he obviously just jumping for attention.And oh, is RE4 blamed for bullying in school? I can guarantee that this bill will also be rejected too.
February 25 2006, 00:43:12 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Attention attention attention, what more can they ask for?
Wow liveordie2, where ever did you get that avatar?February 24 2006, 13:53:54 UTC 6 years ago
A Utah State Legisture Kids Page. Tell me what u think.
I respect Utah's care for kids but Hogue is just obviously blaming violent video games for school shooting and all the violence. Then tell me, if video games did make people become violent, then why I play video games and led me into the interests of Bible?
February 24 2006, 13:58:18 UTC 6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:47:45 UTC 6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:04:34 UTC 6 years ago
Hogue is a retard
Hogue linked violent games to school shootings, including Columbine."Would these same kids have done this anyway without watching violent videos? Maybe not."
Klebold and Harris still would have done it, no matter what. They had that planned for at least a year. The mother of Columbine victim Matthew Ketcher blames Klebold and Harris's parents(and nothing else) for the massacre.
Utah is only wasting taxpayer money because of an idiot whose blinded by ambition, avarice, and greed. Gee, kind of like Nospmoht Kcaj.
February 24 2006, 14:59:41 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Hogue is a retard
Weren't they also victims of bullies at the school as well? If, instead of ignoring the bullying, those in charge had stepped up and punished the bullies in the first place, it's more likely the events that took place would not have happened. At least it would have been far less likely to have happened.nightwng2000
6 years ago
6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:04:55 UTC 6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:05:34 UTC 6 years ago
But a felony seems way to strong for some guy who forgot to ask for an ID at a walmart check out. I could see a fine, though nothing as outragous as the 1000 dollar fine that the hawaii bill preposes. For a small mistake like not checking an ID for a video game should not make someone have to scrounge to make rent.
February 24 2006, 14:16:05 UTC 6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:10:55 UTC 6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:58:23 UTC 6 years ago
6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:13:41 UTC 6 years ago
Another one to die in the courts
Yet another bill that will have to be struck down in the courts. BTW, Who's the governor of Utah, any chance he might veto?February 24 2006, 14:14:09 UTC 6 years ago
Oh, hes obviously been reading up on this game unlike other people who say you are a bully in the game.
February 24 2006, 14:30:02 UTC 6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:20:33 UTC 6 years ago
Laughable
I find it horrifying that these people consider videogame distribution on par (insofar as punishment) with aggravated assault, arson, burglary, murder, and rape.Unconstitutionality aside, the punishment proposed is grossly inappropriate.
February 24 2006, 14:32:45 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Laughable
Just a short bit of research shows that Utah finds selling tobacco and alcohol to minors as subject to fines and at most a misdemeanor offense. They are demonstrably bad for (people).Video games? Not demonstrably bad, and you get (at most) a felony conviction.
How is this even close to reasonable?
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:20:43 UTC 6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:25:22 UTC 6 years ago
Wording is fucked!!
Even though the bill would be struck down for being constitutionally overboard (violence can't be found obscene to minors or adults) the wording of the bill is so overtly vague and broad that retailers would have no idea which games would be no or off limits to minors in the stores. "Excessive use of weaponary" WTF does that mean? Horrible Bill. Can't wait till the courts rip it to shreds.February 24 2006, 15:48:05 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Wording is fucked!!
"Excessive use of weaponary"Well, there goes ratchet and Clank.
6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:26:38 UTC 6 years ago
zomg!
Oh my. A politican was logical and brave enough to point out there's also violence in the Bible?! Send this lady a medal or something! :)
February 24 2006, 14:30:15 UTC 6 years ago
Re: zomg!
Ditto. No doubt she got in shit for the Bible reference.Fat Ass Quaddruple chin Hogue (in the mitst of eating a twinkie)- How dare you compare the Bible to those evil, horrible, forged in the lair of Satan himself violent video games. Sacrf, Scarf, Scarf, Hey i grew a new chin!
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:30:12 UTC 6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:34:27 UTC 6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:30:26 UTC 6 years ago
Quite aside from the issue of whether games caused Columbine, what's with "watching violent videos"? He makes it sound like they spent their time watching Van Damme flicks on VHS. This, more than anything, drives home to me how far these people are from understanding the issues they legislate about.
February 24 2006, 14:35:46 UTC 6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:41:39 UTC 6 years ago
February 24 2006, 16:54:53 UTC 6 years ago
February 24 2006, 14:50:38 UTC 6 years ago
People make the decision to kill other people because THEY WANT TO!
February 24 2006, 17:09:16 UTC 6 years ago
That would make a GREAT X-Files (or similar, non-terminated show) episode. The evil, demonic video game designed by some malicious programmer to program kids to kill the population of a town that laughed at him as a child. Oooh, ooh, or it's some sort of evil government black-op plot. Any other plot ideas?
</Devil's Advocate Moment>
6 years ago
February 24 2006, 15:08:38 UTC 6 years ago
In every single instance like this they say the same thing over and over again and once it reaches the courts it gets struck down as the 100% unconstitutional piece of shit is is. Get over yourself Hogue, put down the fuckin' twinkies, do a little exercise, lose a little weight and see that your law is no different from the rest of them, pure unconstitutional shit. Stop wasting the Utah's people's taxpayers money on this shit.
February 24 2006, 15:25:37 UTC 6 years ago
Its very annoying
I find it annoying that people arent allowed to do anything without other people saying they were influenced by some media. I had people tried to bully me back when i was in high school and I fought back, not bacause some megadrive game inspired me too, not because i saw it in a movie but simply because i wasnt going to stand there and let people atack me.There was one time however in primary school where there was an older boy atacking me on a regualr basis and as i was only small there was little i could do. The schools solution? i should get therapy.....i mean what the hell, i get atacked and they tell me i should see a shrink? my mum was equally outraged and told my big sis to go kick the lads ass and he never bothered me again. I dont advocate violence as a solution to bullying as in my experience it only makes it worse but some kids need to stand up for them selves a little, theres the extreme of doing nothing and then theres the extreme of going on a gun rampage. neither one is wanted.
February 24 2006, 15:28:24 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Its very annoying
It's funny, the old adage about dealing with Bullies is, 'If they hit you, hit them back harder.'. But once a game comes along that 'might' allow you to fight bullies (I've not seen many pictures, but I don't recall any involving baseball bats, only punch-ups) people get up in arms.Isn't hypocrisy a wonderful thing.
6 years ago
February 24 2006, 15:37:02 UTC 6 years ago
...OK...maybe I shouldn't watch "Whoops Apocalypse" before posting...
February 24 2006, 15:41:04 UTC 6 years ago
Let me ask you, in all honesty:
Do we, as a nation, really need Utah?February 24 2006, 15:50:05 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Let me ask you, in all honesty:
Unfortunately yes, it's really the only place appropriate for dumping Nuclear Waste and hiding secret Military testing sites.6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
February 24 2006, 15:48:09 UTC 6 years ago
"You take a baseball bat and beat up their heads"
I don't know why, but that line made me laugh.Out of curiosity, did anyone notice this: "a) means anything printed or written or any picture, drawing, photograph, motion
65 picture, video, video game, or pictorial representation, or any statue or other figure, or any
66 recording or transcription, or any mechanical, chemical, or electrical reproduction, or anything
67 which is or may be used as a means of communication["
Does that mean that it'll be illegal if you buy your child McDonalds or a thing of bleach?
February 24 2006, 16:13:51 UTC 6 years ago
Re: "You take a baseball bat and beat up their heads"
Whoa! Back the truck up! I hadn't bothered to read the law before, but, now that you quote it, wow. They've basically just added violence and videogames directly into the obscenity law! Which means this law now covers every violent picture, drawing, photograph, motion picture, video, video game, or pictorial representation, or any statue or other figure, or any recording or transcription, or any mechanical, chemical, or electrical reproduction, or anything which is or may be used as a means of communication.So, yea, if the governor signs it, who's up for a marathon session of calling and e/snail-mailing every police, sheriff, DA, etcetera's office in the state to report every single violent image, word, or sound ever? As in, completely drown them in paperwork so the legislators have to explain to their constituents why the entire state just shut down. I'm dead serious here too.
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
6 years ago
February 24 2006, 15:52:17 UTC 6 years ago
Radioactive Family State
And yet Utah is also probably going to have the biggest Repository for Spent Nuclear Fuel Cells in the United States. I'm not sure about anyone else, but to me that doesn't scream family friendly.
February 24 2006, 15:57:50 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Radioactive Family State
Sure it is. Didn't they ever teach you about the 'Nuclear Family' model in school? Plus, Nuclear fuel is overrated. Sure it kills you in a painfully slow way that eats you from the inside out, but at least the kids will be safe from violent video games. Yes, they'll have to go other places to get their violent quota, like TV, Movies, Radio, Internet, the family, Other families, School, Society as a whole, News, News about Iraq, News about Afghanistan, News about comic riots in the world... Uh... Did I miss anything?6 years ago
February 24 2006, 16:12:04 UTC 6 years ago
Maddox is not gonna be happy....
About Utah being a Family State.Utah has sucked for awhile and it's gonna suck even more.
February 24 2006, 20:25:24 UTC 6 years ago
Re: Maddox is not gonna be happy....
Utah still beats Idaho in his books.← Ctrl← Alt
Ctrl →Alt →