Louisiana Senate unanimously passes Thompson bill

Antigame measure written by vocal antigame advocate now just one step away from becoming law; Gov. Kathleen Blanco expected to sign.

Last Friday, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty signed a bill restricting game sales into law. Though it was immediately challenged in court by the Entertainment Software Association, its rather mild terms didn't exactly sow panic among gamers. The law would fine minors who attempted to buy Mature- and Adults Only-rated games $25 and ask game retailers post a sign warning of the fine in their stores.

Late yesterday, another game bill moved one step closer to law in Louisiana. However, the measure has stirred up a much larger controversy in the industry for two reasons: its draconian terms, which are based on previously upheld obscenity laws, and its coauthor, vociferous antigame activist Jack Thompson.

Written by Representative Roy Burrell (D-District 2) and Thompson, HB1381 would make it illegal to sell, rent, or lease a game to a minor if it met three conditions. First, if the "average person" would think "appeals to the minor's morbid interest in violence." Second, if it "depicts violence in a manner patently offensive to prevailing standards." Lastly, a game would only qualify if it "lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors." Violators could be fined between $100 and $2,000 and sentenced to up to 12 months in a state prison.

After being approved by a key committee last week, HB1381 was passed last night in a 35-0 vote in the Louisiana State Senate, according to watchdog site GamePolitics.com. The bill will now be presented to Democratic Governor Kathleen Blanco, who made national headlines during the disastrous aftermath of Hurricane Katrina last fall. The Governor is expected to sign the bill, given the unanimous vote and the recent linking of games and teenage murder suspects in the Louisiana media. If that happens, expect an ESA legal filing to follow shortly.

257 Comments

  • belgarath2323

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 9:09 am PT

    I honestly don't see the big deal. Yes, JT is completely insane and I hope he gets hit by a bus, but these laws are not banning video games... just the sale of mature games to minors. Minors shouldn't be playing these games anyways unless they're parents know about the objectionable content and approve anyway, and in that case, the minors don't have anything to worry about.

  • nintendofreak_2

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 8:50 am PT

    So they think this will stop teens from killing each other? The thing that makes teens kill is bullying or extreme stress. This is probably building on that stress.

  • FFObsessed

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 8:48 am PT

    Hey hes got a point, "only hit men and video gamers shoot people in the face".

  • shasam712

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 8:41 am PT

    Surely if murders and shootings were going to be inspired by games and so on then JT would be top of the hit list? The reason why he hasn't yet been shot is because video games do not incite violence or hatred. Plus, us gamers seem to have the patience of saints if we are putting up with this guy???

    PLUS!!!!....I'm not even American and this guys laws annoy me, so yeah...he must be pretty annoying.

  • bulldog7

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 8:37 am PT

    why all the complaints? is it just because the bill seems anti videogames? That's not a sufficient reason. SEriously, how will this effect you, at all? I get the sense people complain just to complain, "those darn ignorant politicians". ya, ok, find a new, and intelligent, response. Minors shouldn't have certain content, it's in every other media output, so why wouldn't it be in videogames as well? especially videogames...

  • Spartan_7008

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 8:28 am PT

    Could someone please explain the point of this article to me...
    I can't buy M rated games already, what are they getting at?

  • starcutter20000

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 8:26 am PT

    How dare they pass a law that determines what is literary, artistic, political, or scientific. It basicly says it has to be all of these things in order to be accepted outside of pornshops. HOW DARE THEY.

    IT"S THE "COMIC BOOK CODE AUTHORTY" all over again!!!

  • Dace67

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 8:23 am PT

    I want some freak accident to happen to Jack Thompson. That way it won't be video games fault and he'll stop causing trouble.

  • Spider_man_1991

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:55 am PT

    i'm sure glad i dont live in louisana but this is stupidest law i have ever seen. jack thompson needs to crawl into a dark hole so noone will ever see or hear from him again.

  • MiNuts

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:28 am PT

    Another great reason to live in New Orleans. I gotta get out of this city and fast.
    The world is ending!!!

  • BullDogSquad

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:22 am PT

    We need to put more pressure on parents. They need pay attention to what video games and movies thier kids are bieng exposed to! I use to work in a video game store and most of the time its parents buying the video game.

  • Benny_is_here

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 7:02 am PT

    Hurry! To the ESA-mobile!

  • Humorguy_basic

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 6:55 am PT

    Hey - anyone who thinks we're heading for a Star Trek future and not a Bladerunner/1984 future needs their head examined! We get anti democratic news like this in every Western country practically everyday! I am surprised shoelaces aren't next on the list - ban them, they cause injuries and deaths because young kids don't how to do them up properly!!! Shame on shoelace manufacturers - shame I say!

  • 123000

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 6:46 am PT

    this guy is crazy,there is a real scientific evidence that violent games make people violent??no,and actually its proven that some games help memory and other stuff

  • jak23

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 6:43 am PT

    do you know who mcCarthy is?HE WAS THE WISCONSIN SENATOR WHO WAS CENSORED BECAUSE OF HIS FALSE ACCUSATIONS OF EVERYONE HE DIDN'T LIKE WAS A COMMUNIST!!!Jack i hope you read this because you are starting to act like him!And i hope one day you will stop and see the greed and immorality of your actions, that you shall see the money wasted on you and these laws, and that you could actually stop and at least play just one game.
    You snap and blame simple games like the sims which is T-rated.
    GTA i can see parents not liking it .but why are you so ignorant?

  • Unknown_Legend

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 6:41 am PT

    Jack Thompson needs a life. And since nobody except hitman and gamers shoot people in the face, then I'm gonna give him something else to add to that line, a big kick in the Ball$, then and maybe THEN, he may start to act like he got some damn sense.

  • dutchXcon

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 6:40 am PT

    the worst thing is he writing to politicians here in the netherlands to back him up whit,not relaesing evil games?

    please keep him over there

  • Flan_Man

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 6:29 am PT

    Passed unanimously by old suits. Let's see what Louisana can spend time on: help reconstruct New Orleans which still isn't up to steam or busy ourselves attacking the mysteries of the computer age. Yeah, that is what I thought, ignore the city struck a while ago and attack something that we don't understand, darn kids. "Why don't those kids just stay inside reading books about how hard it was for us in our day?" I just love how they claim they are protecting the children. I can see how they could keep A rated games in that list, but anything else is up to the guardian. Guardians may deem a certain PG-13 or R movie is fine for their child to see, why should a video game be different? Or is it because these politicians believe that video games are a more powerful media? Is it because they are so out of touch with technology?

  • Darthmatt

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 6:27 am PT

    Here we go again. They need to make a bill that restricts bad parents because that is where most kids get violent behavior. This will change nothing in society and just lead lawmakers to even more scapegoats.

  • shizwill03

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 6:15 am PT

    That is crazy.

    From how that bill is spelt out, most games that come out can be in violation of that law.

    Not to mention most of the games currently on the market....bargain bins included.

    I am REALLY glad that I don't live in Louisiana.

  • Naruto

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 5:58 am PT

    Not be be mean, but holy crap America has it's share of idiots..

  • metdevthegamer

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 5:35 am PT

    I agree with xxstalker24xx.

    The reason he's going after video games and not guns might be because video games are more popular than guns. Either that, or he's going for the idea that if games are the problem, based on his theory that people are way so dumb as to emulate murder they act out in video games in real life situations; "nobody shoots anybody in the face unless you're a hit man or a video gamer," according to Jacko, so he probably thinks he can get rid of the games so the gamer won't have fuel for thought. Not much good that's going to do anyone because video games aren't the cause of the murders, it's the murderer.

    Yeah, I bet it's because of its popularity. Anything that's popular is a sure target that greedy people will try to exploit, and he's an attorney.

    Yeah, it'd be better if he could go after a more sensible target like guns over video games or any form of entertainment.

  • BadMunky

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 5:19 am PT

    o well ill be 18 in 6 days so i don't give a damn

  • xxstalker24xx

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 5:15 am PT

    Instead of going after games why dosnt Jack go after GUNS come on its legal to have guns in america so why dosnt he go after stoping that. Dosnt the gun have a big part in it becuase if they didnt have a GUN they wouldnt have killed the guy in that killing. Dosnt that show america has a problem with GUNS!! and not games.

  • Nickster_11

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 5:01 am PT

    theres more important stuff to focus on than just games. and if the parents think thats its ok for their kid to have a mature video game, then the government shouldnt get involved

  • reaver12345

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 4:55 am PT

    wtf how do video games make u wanna kill pple if ne1thing they let u take out frustration.. and its like 3 out of 1000000 gamers who killed sumbody OMG.. videos dnt make u wanna kill pple u already hav to be already pretty messed up to kill sum1. i got like 15 M games and im 14.. but im not a crazy killer person.. im just normal kid i play, paintball i hav alot of friends i do good in school... im just so mad bout how much this law makes no sense.. does ne1 go pick up a game of CSS and shoot sum1 in game and say aww cool, im gonan try tht on the neigbor... AWW i hate him

  • zackarkywar

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 4:40 am PT

    Lol. Even my mom said he was a complete moron, and asked "does this guy have mental problems? Is he on something?" I LOLed at that. Video games dont cause violence, and besides I;ve seen more people be killed by cars than games. HAY JACK GO SUE DA CARZ.

  • bxgt

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 4:27 am PT

    jack thompson is the antichrist

  • miiiguel

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 3:33 am PT

    Control "freakyness" should be buried along with communism and fascism.
    Democracy that put this kind of control (later they will start to impose the literature you give to your sons) at the Law level is more dangerous than the previous stated regimes.
    Beware.

  • soulknight63133

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 2:38 am PT

    Judgement left up to opinion is a mistake, but the penalty should also be handed down to parents, not just the retailer. It's the parents responsibilty to monitor to their children.

  • metdevthegamer

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 2:20 am PT

    He's painting the wrong image of video games, and now he's afraid of them. Has he ever played a video game, let alone a violent one? I'm betting he hasn't, and he doesn't know what he's talking about then. I mean, it's just entertainment. Nothing in any violent video game manipulates someone to kill another in real life. Jackoff's in serious need of a hobby....

  • majindustin

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 2:05 am PT

    As long as he doesn't try to ban games all together, I don't care. When I have kids, I'm not going to buy them M rated games anyways. And I guess everyone here complaining about this is under 17.....

  • troakun

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 2:01 am PT

    *fanfare* This is a job for the ESA!

  • Da_Mainman_3

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 1:49 am PT

    [This message would be deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator if I dared to post it]

  • MaverickHunter8

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 1:31 am PT

    Oh great, Thompson is at it again. Why am I not surprised.... The man needs a hobby or something cause this is really freakin' old. There's a thin line between being a knowledgeable political hero and incomptent political villian, we all know what side Thompson is on. I agree with gt4freak1985, sumone998, hardknox, -BC-Soldier91, and everyone else here. Thompson, I'll put it in lamens' terms so you can understand me clearly: "GET A LIFE!!!"

  • Silasraven

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 1:29 am PT

    Well I live in the UK and I am glad that I do as we have not gone down this road yet. As a mature gamer with 2 sons, one 13 and one 22 I find this hard to swallow. Both my sons have been brought up on gaming ( some violent or deemed violent) and thay are both sound people. No trouble with the law, no wish to murder anyone and both kind hearted and helpfull to others. If games bend minds then why not comics ?( graphic novels to some) This is just an ego trip for a man who wants the attention. The cold war is over but at what point did the US become Russia? Put the laws being suggested in China beside those in the US and try and spot the difference. Parents should be looking after thier childrens welfare not goverments with hidden agenda's. The difference between gamers and these law makers is that we know the difference between fantasy and reality. These law makers are only out for one thing, control. God help us.

  • Hippoboy

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 1:22 am PT

    hey maybe after the american gaming industry they could move to australia just need a little more open PM

  • RudeYeT1

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 1:17 am PT

    one thing i cant understand is why we all hate him but then some people say "If i had a chance i would beat this guys ass YEa PWN this damn n00b yeaa" and thus leads to the sterotype violent gamer

  • nametaken

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 12:37 am PT

    Yeah, but you gotta love the guy's guitar playing, his genial laid-back demeanor, and the fun songs he's done for Curious George, and ...

    Wait, what?

    Ohhhh, I thought we were talking about Jack JOHNson.

  • Bathyj

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 12:35 am PT

    Why does Jackass hate games so much anyway? Did his wife have threesome with Mr and Mrs Pacman? Was he smashed with a barrel by Donkey Kong? Does he just suck at Tetris? Any ideas anyone? How about a top 5 reasons why Jackass hates games.

  • Bathyj

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 12:19 am PT

    Wake up people. It doesn't only affect minors. If Jackass Thompson had his way no one would play any games at all. This is just the first step for him in eroding your rights. Give him a little victory and it will only make him more determined and maybe even rally more idiots to his cause. Idiots love to travel in groups. A groups of idiots in called a Congress. Why is it movies and even more so, books can do or say whatever they want and its no big deal? Put violence or sex in a game but and you're the Anti-Christ. I'm serious, some things in books are disturbing but cos its reading in must be good for you. It's educational after all. Censorship of any kind is wrong. Everyone has the choice of simply not playing, watching, reading or listening to something if they don't like it. If you make those choices for us, thats facism. One more thing, Louisianna Senate YOU SUCK, you knee jerk sellouts.

  • nathanfist

    Posted Jun 8, 2006 12:07 am PT

    They should just let people buy them. They should just check to see if they have some kind of criminal record.

  • blackacidevil96

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 11:58 pm PT

    our government is so fu*ked. they are passing idiotic laws like this. and congress is currently trying to put a law in the CONSTITUTION banning gay marriage. i dont care where u stand on the issue but you must understand that they are deliberatly putting discrimination into the constitution if it passes. why cant they focus on more important matters like the illegals crossing the boarder gettin a job and not payin the taxes. or i dont know fixin bushes massive screwup in iraq. point is there are more important issues at hand than videogames

  • Sirlehr

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 11:35 pm PT

    yep, this is going to be challenged in the supreme court.. and guess who's going to lose?

    Thompson!


  • segafanac

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 11:28 pm PT

    Its an election year, this is why it was passed. So the politicians look like they are doing something so that they are re-elected. If this was not an election year this would have failed.

  • metdevthegamer

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 10:09 pm PT

    I'm 17, so this doesn't affect me much. It doesn't affect me at all because I live in Wisconsin. The thought of that nutcase's bill being passed is still disturbing though. If someone says "nobody shoots anybody in the face unless you're a hit man or a video gamer" and submits a law restricting video game sales, I wouldn't even think of passing it. It'd put a smile on my face to see him fail at future attempts that would hinder video games in any way, shape, or form.

    And don't we, particulary they, have bigger problems at hand? I never thought violent entertainment was more of a problem than immigration and Katrina issues among others.

  • mccoy26

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 10:04 pm PT

    You know he really looks like John Stewart + 15 pounds and Gray hair.

    Hmmmmmmm.

  • Valkyrie_44

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 9:29 pm PT

    Wow Thompson attacks it all, I am just waiting for him to start attacking the Jewish Nation, wearing swastikas, and growing a funny mustache.

  • BlazinBlizzls

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 9:22 pm PT

    these people are the ones that are sick in the headgot to love goverment we pay taxes and elected people who tell us what is good and bad for us. F them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • jimbo102671

    Posted Jun 7, 2006 9:13 pm PT

    Besides, if the Louisiana legislature has time to do this, then it sure as heck has time to see about the Katrina mess that still remains from over 9 months ago!

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