Assembly Minority members today blamed the Assembly's Majority for failing to act on legislation that would protect minors from violent and sexually explicit video games. The legislation (A.3780-A) was held in the Assembly's Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee in a largely partisan vote, preventing it from coming to the floor for a vote by the full house.

"This bill will help parents shield their children from glamorized portrayals of violent acts and sexually provocative material," said Assembly Minority Leader Charles H. Nesbitt (R,C-Albion). "To hold it in Committee simply because of its Minority sponsorship places politics above the needs of parents and children."

The legislation would prohibit the sale or rental of violent and sexually explicit video games to minors and would require that warning labels be placed on these games informing consumers of their content. Civil penalties of up to $1,000 would be imposed on retailers and manufacturers who knowingly violate the law.

Though a video game ratings system exists, administered through the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), many children under 18 are still able to easily gain access to violent and sexually explicit games because policies for selling video games to youths differ from retailer to retailer and are voluntary. Currently, minors are able to gain access to games like Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, which allows players to kill police officers and others with a gruesome variety of murder weapons, such as chainsaws, baseball bats and machetes.

"The material in some of the most popular video games is inappropriate for children and degrading to women," said Assemblyman Brian M. Kolb (R,C,I-Canandaigua), sponsor of the measure. "Parents often do not know the content of the video games they purchase because the details are not clearly listed on the label. I am disappointed that the Assembly Majority cannot set political agendas aside and help place this critical information about violent video games in the hands of parents."

The Assembly Minority first proposed legislation combating violent video games in February 2003. The bill is supported by several organizations, including the New York State Sheriff's Association and the Lion and Lamb Project, a national grassroots group working to stop the marketing of violence to children.