Failed anti-game legislation will cost California nearly $1.8 million

[CaseAgainstFaith]

Trying to pass unconstitutional restrictions on a burgeoning artistic medium is not cheap. Just ask the state of California, which will end up paying $1.8 million in attorney's fees in its failed effort to restrict violent game sales to children with a law that was overturned by the Supreme Court last year.

It was widely reported last month that the state would be paying $950,000 to cover legal costs for the Entertainment Merchants Association and Entertainment Software Association, which argued against the law. But that number didn't take into account nearly $300,000 the state had paid to industry defenders during earlier court battles, and $500,000 it spent on its own side of the legal battle, as The Sacramento Bee recently reported.

But there are no regrets from the sponsor of the bill. "When you fight the good fight for a cause you know is right and just, and it's about protecting kids, you don't ever regret that," Republican bill sponsor Leland Yee told The Bee. "I think we felt the issue was so important that it warranted the costs associated with it," former California deputy attorney general Jim Humes added.

And while the legal costs are a drop in the bucket compared to the state's massive annual budget of over $92 billion, some say legislators should have known that the law would end up being a waste of time and money. "I think it's fair to say the industry warned the state that they were just getting themselves into a big legal mess and they would end up having to pay attorney fees—and that's exactly what happened," game industry attorney Paul M. Smith told The Bee.

source - http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2012/02/failed-anti-game-legislation-will-cost-california-nearly-18-million.ars

I find it amusing that they wasted 1.8 million dollars of tax payer money and yet still have no regrets.  What a bunch of idiots.

[MaybeNever]

Doesn't California have, like, a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall? A couple million is small change compared to that, but maybe they should liquidate their Bullshit Spending Fund and use the money to shore up programs that could be conceivably useful.

[Witchyjoshy]

Remember, it's not THEIR taxpayer money being wasted they're too rich to pay taxes.

[Eniliad]

But it's not an issue big enough to keep fighting. I love how they're not really concerned about the welfare of children, at all...

[Osama bin Bambi]

And remember kids, it's healthcare we have to cut.

[Nightangel8212]

All that shit over video games? Seriously? My three nieces and nephews regularily play fairly violent games. I watched my six yr old nephew play a wrestling game with his oldest sister, and he figured out how to pick up cement stairs and slam it over her characters head. It had blood, but wasn't overly graphic, and the kids loved it. I understand that they play that game frequently, and have yet to see any of them attempt to immitate the wrestling moves to harm others...

My brother's son regularly plays first person shooting games, at 12 yrs of age. These ones are VERY graphic, have coarse language, and involve guns that would make Arnold Schwartzeneggar (sp?) shit his pants. I don't see my nephew picking up arms and going on shooting rampages or cursing out his parents. So... WHAT exactly are they trying to save the children from, again? Having fun?

[KZN02]

All that shit over video games? Seriously? My three nieces and nephews regularily play fairly violent games. I watched my six yr old nephew play a wrestling game with his oldest sister, and he figured out how to pick up cement stairs and slam it over her characters head. It had blood, but wasn't overly graphic, and the kids loved it. I understand that they play that game frequently, and have yet to see any of them attempt to immitate the wrestling moves to harm others...

My brother's son regularly plays first person shooting games, at 12 yrs of age. These ones are VERY graphic, have coarse language, and involve guns that would make Arnold Schwartzeneggar (sp?) shit his pants. I don't see my nephew picking up arms and going on shooting rampages or cursing out his parents. So... WHAT exactly are they trying to save the children from, again? Having fun?

They probably want to make it look like they're doing something "good" for the country, as usual.

[Servo]

So... WHAT exactly are they trying to save the children from, again? Having fun?

<sarcasm>Saving the children from a life of violence! You let children play violent video games, tomorrow they'll be shooting up a whole school!



If it weren't for goths guns anti-depressants films music internet violent video games... Columbine would have never happened!</sarcasm>

[largeham]

If it weren't for goths guns anti-depressants films music internet violent video games... Columbine would have never happened!</sarcasm>

I'm telling you, it was that satanic D&D stuff that caused Columbine.