Listen as LA House Committee, ESA Bless Game Obscenity Bill
Politics, as they say, makes strange bedfellows.
In a just-concluded appearance before the Criminal Justice Committee of the Louisiana House, Rep. Roy Burrell (D, seen at left) and Steve Duke, a lobbyist appearing on behalf of the ESA, sat side-by-side and even yucked it up a little as both spoke in favor of SB340, video game legislation passed unanimously by the Louisiana Senate on May 18th. If the House membership ultimately votes in favor of SB340, which was sponsored by Sen. James David Cain (R), the bill will become law when signed by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco (D).
As recently as May 10th, Burrell and Duke took opposing stances on Burrell's own video game bill, HB1381. On that day, before the very same committee, Burrell's seat mate was none other than controversial Miami attorney Jack Thompson. Burrell and Thompson argued in favor of HB1381, which seeks to outlaw sales of violent games to underage buyers on the basis that they are harmful to minors.
So why is the industry supportive of SB340 while strongly opposing HB1381?
Like Maryland's HB707, SB340 bans minors from purchasing games with sexually explicit content. The industry did not oppose the Maryland law as it essentially mirrors existing obscenity statutes. What's more, Hot Coffee aside, there really are no sexually explicit retail games. HB1381, on the other hand, essentially seeks to redefine violent content as obscene using language found in the classic Miller definitions.
Also, as reported by the Times-Picayune, it was ESA lobbyist Duke who persuaded the Louisiana Senate to remove violence components from SB340 before passage.
Burrell's more restrictive bill, HB1381, should be voted on this week by the Louisiana Senate.
GP readers can listen as Rep. Burrell and the ESA's Duke discuss SB340 with committee chair Rep. Danny Martiny (R). In their brief (3:02) appearance, the bill is ultimately reported favorably by the committee.
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