Oklahoma Shoots Down Violent Videogame Tax

[Andy Chalk]

Oklahoma Shoots Down Violent Videogame Tax

The Oklahoma state proposal to levy an extra tax on violent videogames has been defeated.

In January, Oklahoma State Representative William Fourkiller put forth an idea for a one percent tax [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115623-Oklahoma-Ponders-Violent-Videogame-Tax] on violent videogames, over and above pre-existing sales taxes. Violent videogames make kids fat and aggressive, his thinking went, so they should be taxed at a higher rate to pay for outdoor education and anti-bullying funds.

Fortunately, the Oklahoma House Revenue and Tax Subcommittee didn't agree and defeated Rep. Fourkiller's bill. When he was asked to withdraw the legislation, he proposed the creation of the "Oklahoma Task Force on Video Games' Relationship to Obesity and Aggression," but that idea was shot down as well.

"It was obvious that this bill singled out videogames with unfair and unfounded claims, and something needed to be done," the Video Game Voters Network [http://videogamevoters.org/blog/entry/OK_rights_restored] said in a statement.

Zumba Fitness 2: Party Yourself Into Shape [http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=HB2696&Tab=0]. The VGVN also noted, as did the "hundreds" of supporters it credited with helping kill the bill, that the U.S. Supreme Court has already declared that states cannot impose unique, content-based restrictions on videogames.


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[CM156_v1legacy]

Fat and aggressive? Wouldn't those two conditions cancel each-other out anyway?

Spoiler: nope

OT: Not at all shocked, really. Still, this would have been an interesting tax, to say the very least. I would have liked to see it ruled upon as well. But then again, I like seeing SCOTUS cases more than normal people.

 

[Awexsome]

Well. That went well then. Huzzah.

 

[JaceArveduin]

Fat and aggressive? Wouldn't those two conditions cancel each-other out anyway?

How many rednecks have you met from OK? More than a few of them are big and aggressive. It's from all the beer they drink.

 

[Monkeyman O'Brien]

Since the supreme court has already covered this bullshit every politician that brings up the issue, knowing it will get shot down should have to cover all costs out of their own pockets. No wasting tax payer money and they should not get paid for time spent pushing this bullshit.

Also on a side note, I have absolutely no interest in anything the video game voters network has to say about anything at all. Those bastards at the ESA lost the right to exist.

 

[Ignatz_Zwakh]

Oh man, totally forgot about that dude. Glad to hear his idiocy's been called out.

 

[Zen Toombs]

Its overbroad definition of "violent video games" was also problematic and would have included titles like Zumba Fitness 2: Party Yourself Into Shape [http://www.amazon.com/Get-Up-Dance-nintendo-wii/dp/B0053Z4XXC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330112800&sr=8-1].

...I'm very curious as to how they defined "violent videogame".

 

[Kaymish]

he probably said "any video game is violent so we will tax them all"

 

[gigastar]

Its overbroad definition of "violent video games" was also problematic and would have included titles like Zumba Fitness 2: Party Yourself Into Shape [http://www.amazon.com/Get-Up-Dance-nintendo-wii/dp/B0053Z4XXC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330112800&sr=8-1].

...I'm very curious as to how they defined "violent videogame".

The best i could come up with for getting those games into the criteria is "rapid movement of the human body".

The real reason for why theyre classified as "violent" under this bill is pobably alot dumber than my own watered down reasoning.

 

[Baresark]

This whole thing was funny. Everyone is in favor of a sin tax until it is on something you do.

OT: Good. What too few people understand is that another tax on something isn't going to help anybody. It's just a way for politicians to get their dirty little hands in everything.

 

[Togusa09]

Its overbroad definition of "violent video games" was also problematic and would have included titles like Zumba Fitness 2: Party Yourself Into Shape [http://www.amazon.com/Get-Up-Dance-nintendo-wii/dp/B0053Z4XXC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330112800&sr=8-1].

...I'm very curious as to how they defined "violent videogame".

From the bill itself - "D. As used in this section, ?violent video game? means a video or computer game that has received a rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board of Teen, Mature or Adult Only."

You can just tell it's going to end badly...

Although given a look through the first few pages of T rated games on the ESRB site, every one was marked as containing violence.

 

[draythefingerless]

I find it ironic to the most hilarious degree, that a game like Get Up and Dance, wich makes oyu do physical exercise and helps social integration, is classified as making kids fat and aggressive by this bill. xD

 

[RaikuFA]

Its overbroad definition of "violent video games" was also problematic and would have included titles like Zumba Fitness 2: Party Yourself Into Shape [http://www.amazon.com/Get-Up-Dance-nintendo-wii/dp/B0053Z4XXC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330112800&sr=8-1].

...I'm very curious as to how they defined "violent videogame".

The best i could come up with for getting those games into the criteria is "rapid movement of the human body".

The real reason for why theyre classified as "violent" under this bill is pobably alot dumber than my own watered down reasoning.

If its rated T for Teen or higher, it was gonna be taxed.

BTW, fuck the VGVN.

 

[gigastar]

BTW, fuck the VGVN.

Why? Theyre the good guys.

 

[Detective Prince]

He's moaning about aggressive video games and what not...But his surname is Fourkiller. That'd be a perfect last name for a manly protagonist. XD

Anyways, I'm glad that this stupid bill didn't go through, even if it wouldn't have affected me. Idiocy is universal.

 

[Not G. Ivingname]

Fat and aggressive? Wouldn't those two conditions cancel each-other out anyway?

Spoiler: Not quite

I do wonder how the free to play games would feel about being taxed?

 

[Yal]

I doubt this was a principled defense of video games by the Oklahoma legislature. Most of them probably made it as far as "This bill proposes a new tax" and didn't bother to go further. That's a very conservative state, and a difficult one to raise taxes in no matter what the target.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

You have to wonder what these people actually see in violent videogames? Surely, basic maths would prove they CAN'T be having that effect.

In fact, statistically violent crimes have gone down since the advent of the video nasty (the precursor to violent video games), before that it was leather jackets and James Dean.