Then state Rep. Fred Morgan had no trouble selling his colleagues in the Legislature on the idea that young people should not be allowed to buy violent video games. Morgan's 2006 bill to do just that was approved 47-0 in the Senate and 98-0 in the House before being signed by Gov. Brad Henry.
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More than a year later, the law still hasn't gone into effect. A legal challenge filed shortly after it was signed into law held up implementation temporarily, and a new ruling by a federal judge seemingly has shelved it for good. U.S. District Judge Robin Cauthron permanently enjoined the state from enforcing the law, saying it trod on the rights of free speech.
The ruling shouldn't have come as a surprise. At least a half-dozen similar laws around the country had met the same fate even before Oklahoma passed its version. Those laws were studied before the Oklahoma legislation was filed, and Morgan said then that he expected his bill to pass constitutional muster. Based on Cauthron's ruling, it didn't come close.
The judge said there is no substantial evidence that video games are harmful to minors, and that there is "a complete dearth of legislative findings, scientific studies or other rationale to support passage of the act.” In addition, she noted, there was nothing to keep minors from buying or renting books or movies on which violent video games are based.
It's easy to see why the bill was so popular — who isn't for "protecting kids”? But while many video games are indeed loathsome, we worry about what products would be next on the banned list. At the end of the day, it's up to parents to oversee and guide their child's activity in the home.
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I am glad that the Oklahoman is writing this. I was really upset when I found out about this law and really glad to find it shot down.
I do wonder what the Oklahoman's opinion was before it was shot down. It would be nice to see newspapers and such speaking out against these types of bills before they are signed into law.
I offer my thanks to the Oklahoman editors for making 2 salient points in this opinion column. First, that we continually see these attacks on our personal choices ('next on the banned list'), second that parents should teach their children the values they wish them to have, rather than relying on society to say "NO" so the parents won't have to.
Concerned, Central Oklahoma - Sep 28, 2007 1:06 PM
hey morgan go sit at the bottom of a pool until it passes. atleast that way the tax payers get there moneys worth out of you. atleast you would be doing something productive.
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I do wonder what the Oklahoman's opinion was before it was shot down. It would be nice to see newspapers and such speaking out against these types of bills before they are signed into law.