Oklahoma Senator William Fourkiller Proposes Violent Video Game Tax

Your tax dollars at work.

Oklahoma Senator William Fourkiller (D) is attempting to introduce a bill that would levy a one percent excise tax against the sale of any and all violent video games in his home state.

The bill, labeled House Bill 2696 is scheduled for its first reading on February 6. Section C of the document contains what the bill would define as a violent video game:

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.

That’s it. This bill, as it is currently written, would make no exception for a high rating based on offensive language, sexual content, or use of drugs and alcohol. In other words, despite the fact that there are multiple ways a game can earn a higher rating, should this bill become law, any game rated “T” or higher would receive this extra tax in the state of Oklahoma.

Section D defines where the money collected from the tax will go should the law be passed:

"The Oklahoma Tax Commission shall deposit fifty percent (50%) of the taxes collected pursuant to this section in the Childhood Outdoor Education Revolving Fund… and the remaining fifty percent (50%) in the Bullying Prevention Revolving Fund…"

These funds do not currently exist in the state of Oklahoma, and they would also be created should this bill be passed.

Many have already noted that this bill is clearly unconstitutional and would likely not move very far. Should it require legal defense from the ESA, who have already stated in an interview with Gamasutra that they are against it, it is possible that the state of Oklahoma could suffer a similar fate to California, who recently had to pay the ESA over a million dollars to recover legal fees from Brown v. EMA.

It’s also interesting to point out that, per section 7, the senator proposes that this 1% tax is “immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety.” And that “an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval.” Who knew that T rated games could be so dangerous!

#Esrb #Esa #Legal #Oklahoma #Senator #Violent game tax #Taxes

Our Take

Angelo Grant Staff Writer

02/03/2012 at 02:31 PM

I don't think I'm stretching my bounds by saying this; This bill is the dumbest waste of Oklahoma tax dollars I've ever heard of.

Nick DiMola Director

02/03/2012 at 02:47 PM

I like how a guy with the last name "Fourkiller" is proposing a violent video game tax law.

Michael117

02/03/2012 at 08:14 PM

Haven't we been through this before? Bills like this have been proposed in so many states over and over and each time it gets up to the Supreme Court and gets turned down. I'm optimisitic so I'm going to assume a person like Fourkiller wants to increase revenue during rough economic times, plus there's also the possibility he doesn't understand gaming and thinks they are ruining the youth. With those assumptions in mind I could understandly perfectly why he would give a go at this and try to make some money off of games. Fourkiller isn't looking at this seriously and intellectually, he just sees a scapegoat and possile renevnue for Oklahoma.

That's where Supreme Courts and judges come in. Bills like this get proposed by people like Fourkiller, and once the bill gets to a court it's the first time somebody has actually thought rationally and intellectually about the subject. It's a waste of time and money, and every couple years a new legislator tries to pull a similar bill. If people just took the time to do their research, not only scientific but also legislative, it would yield far more time to internally debate the merits of a bill and its chance of success for the person proposing it. Anti-gaming or more specifically anti-violent-video-gaming stigmas have led people to assume gaming rots your brain. Just like masturbation makes you blind, right? It's silly and that's why I say that by the time a bill like this reaches a court it's probably the first time a person has rationally dissected it and done the research.

With all that in mind, part of me thinks Fourkiller is insulting the intelligence of Oklahomans as a people and a legislative body. If he had done his research and still came to the conclusion to propose this bill I could imagine him saying, "Video games haven't been proven to be harmful even after several long studies across the world. Bills like this always fail, but......maybe my fellow Oklahomas don't know all that. Maybe I can get by with this. Maybe it'll work in Oklahoma"

I'm optimistic and forgiving so I think somebody like Fourkiller has good intentions, especially since he would want the collected money to go to anti-bullying efforts and outdoor education efforts, but honestly he should do his research. I feel like everytime somebody comes along with anti-gaming sentiment and bills like this, they inevitibly get thrown into the intellectual and scientific debate, get backed into a corner, shut down, and it's a waste of everybody's time.

Kyle Charizanis Staff Alumnus

02/03/2012 at 08:18 PM

Yeah man, every time I play Guitar Hero, it takes all my restraint not to run outside and kill everyone in sight.

PixlBit