Posted by Video Game News Staff, 109 days ago  |
Oklahoma Unfairly Taxing Violent Games if Bill Passes
Oklahoma is looking to tax violent video games differently from other video games. This legislation seems to be against the first amendment if ever there was a case for it. They want to put a 1% tax only on violent video games. 
What’s next? Will books with adult content be taxed more than children’s books? Will all Bruce Willis or Arnold films have a separate tax? How about taxing people to watch TV shows that have more violence in them than others?
Who will be responsible for determining the level of violence at which a game is taxed extra? More importantly, why should gamers pay more for a particular type of game instead of others?
The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
If the Feds cannot do it, then a State legislature surely cannot. This abridges the freedom of speech by singling out and unfairly taxing one single type of content in games.
The bill is being sponsored by William T. Fourkiller (D), and it has been classified as an emergency. It certainly is when you look at how badly it is attempting to trounce the Bill of Rights. If this bill were to pass to law it would surely get struck down as unconstitutional based on i
You can reach Representative Fourkiller here. You can also sign the League of Gamers change.org petition here.
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