HB 2696 seeks to charge 1 percent tax on all games sold in state rated Teen, Mature, and Adults-Only; money collected would go toward Sooner State's obesity and bullying prevention funds.
The price to play video games rated Teen, Mature, and Adults-Only in Oklahoma might be on the rise. An Oklahoma state representative has introduced a new bill that would charge a 1 percent excise tax on "violent" video games.
As reported by Oklahoma news outlet KFOR, state representative Will Fourkiller (D. 86th District) last month introduced House Bill 2696 to the state's legislature. If the bill is signed into law by Republican governor Mary Fallin, all games sold in the state rated Teen, Mature, and Adults-Only would be charged a 1 percent excise tax beginning as early as July 1.
The money collected from the tax, according to the bill, would be given to Oklahoma's obesity-fighting Childhood Outdoor Education Revolving Fund and the Bullying Prevention Revolving Fund.
Fourkiller said he was inspired to draft the bill because he had witnessed obesity, violence, and bullying throughout his time as a teacher, coach, and registered nurse.
"A gentleman shot a police officer and stole his car," Fourkiller said. "He had been playing Grand Theft Auto. Not everybody is going to react the same, but I believe after hours and hours of watching the screen, playing the video game, being that person and taking on that role, people get desensitized."
Fourkiller specifically called out Rockstar Games' Bully, an open-world title that casts players as an adolescent wreaking havoc in a school setting. Fourkiller told the news site he was particularly surprised such a game exists, because bullying is what happens to many kids who play games like it, he said.
Fourkiller said the aim of HB 2696 is not to bring down the video game industry, or to eradicate Teen, Mature, and Adults-Only titles. He said the initiative is an effort to bring awareness to the matter of violence in video games.
According to the Oklahoma State Legislature information page regarding HB 2696, the bill will be read before the House on Monday, February 6.
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
@Darth_Tyrranus: You're misunderstanding my comment about legislating morality, so please don't jump all over me and accuse me of being anti-moral and wanting murder to be legal. Legislating morality means making people be "better" people the way that the law makers want them to when their behavior isn't detrimental to society or the country. It has nothing to do with things like murder or theft that are wrong morally and legally.
@Suikogaiden Really now? RACISM?? I find that word to be pretty racist in itself you know, because by using that term, you baiscally aknowledge people of different ethnicity than yours to be a "different" race, When in fact there is only one race -- The human race. That's like saying a Labrador and a Spaniel are two different races because they differ in size and color. They are still dogs. Yes, he had a political and ideological motive, but Hitler did not repect either religions-- he made the Nazi ideology THE religion, and imposed himself as someone to be worshipped as the ruler-- He made himself a self-proclaimed god. The Nazism was to ensure the rulership of Germany, the "master" race (which is, again, faulty because we are one race) with the pure blood of leadership, and all others are inferior. Even if it wasn't directly a religious act, you can clearly see where the inspiration came from. DO you want us go to the Middle Ages, too? The true era where religion literally split the world apart?? Or were the other wars I suggested not enough?
@Suikogaiden You're kidding right?? Did you even read my comment??? "Certainly Religion did not invent violence-- that part is human nature." That was I said. Now, please do tell me how could you infer from that statement that religion is at fault for human nature, which is not even possible since religion was invented BY HUMANS. Was WW2 a religious war? Oh, OH, dear god. You don't know history either?? WW2 happened because of Hitler's rise to power, enforcing the Nazism ideology of the pure-blood Germans being the master race, that all races are inferior-- the worst of them to be the "filthy, greedy, manipulative" Jews. Does the Holocaust ring any bells?? A monstrous super-genocide of over 6 million jewish men, women, and children, over the background of Religious purification and Fascist Nationalism. More examples?: The Holy Crusade, the pilgrims, the war for the lands of Israel, even now, the war in them Middle east-- All based on religious and nationalist backgrounds. How can you be any more blind??
@jrmorgan23 when it becomes true? Because it sure isn't now. Tax the boohvies out of cigarettes and usage drops quite a bit. Give extra tax breaks for winterizing your home and more people do it. This particular guy is sounding rather dufus (if role playing in games makes people more violent then we had better start keeping a really close eye on actors that play villains!) but I have to admit that a tax on video games that goes into a fund to fight obesity is rather poetic.
Typical Demonrat. When will they realize you can't change social behavior through taxation?
Lol, the Oklahoma house of rep is almost 2/3 republican and the governor is a republican. It's common practice for legislators in the minority to introduce bills that have zero chance of passing just to grab the headlines and make their district feel like they're doing something.This is especially true with state/local legislatures. So why is this news??
Pay attention here folks: Will Foukiller (D)... notice the D? Welcome to reality. When it comes to crushing individual liberty no one beats a Progressive Democrat.
I guess I don't care all that much...1% is only 60 cents more for a new game. Just put it all into the exercise obesity prevention program....or other things like to fix roads and stuff...The parents, schools, and children are responsible for bullying issues. Not the government.
what was the last game that was released with an AO rating? Leisure suit larry? and a 1 percent tax on only half the video game market is barely going to generate any money. and wasn't bully about getting back at people that bully you? this guy it full of sh*t.
Really??? & his lame reason is 2 give it to a bully organization??? So u charge ppl only 4 the violent video games & exclude the rest??? Sounds like an attack on the industry to me. A small attack but still an attack that could potentially lead to other laws that'll impact gaming. I hope the ppl oppose this. Just a stupid reason to get more money in my eyes.
you know this is like the story of the fire bomber that used a molotov cocktail to attack buildings, its thought that he learned how from GTA4 :roll: yeah its such a hard concept to put a rag in a bottle of suds, can there be a $100,000 tax on the personal bank accounts of the people who propose stupid bills ? id love to see how fast this kind of crap would stop
I think we're all missing the point: why the hell are our elected officials (in all states) trying to tax us even more when we can't afford it (at least, I can't)? This official should be recalled for criminal ignorance and stupidity.
@Suikogaiden I really have no I idea how to resond to the casserole of garbage that is spewing from your mind. My mom, murder, and the spread of hate never once came out of my mouth. You were the ignorant a$$ that called me a retard which there is no excuse to use that kind of language. Next time try not to be so offensive and please use the term "special, or handicapped" there is no reason to make fun of people who cannot help the way they were born. I, sir am an athiest, and a passicifist. Try making your point somewhere else with some one who will engage in you small minded thinking. Have a great day, and I will no longer reply to anthing you say; i am not going to fuel your fire.
@Suikogaiden Couldn't be more wrong. It's the fact there are multiple religions that create the confilict, especially when a certain religion conflicts with another, it creates dissaproval of the others' beliefs and leads to quarrels and even war. And you can't deny it, history stands by this statement.
He wants to include titles rated T too? Games rated T aren't always violent, but are rated that way because of language, smoking, or drinking alcohol. And what about E games that have cartoon violence? Even Mario could be considered violent, Mario is jumping and killing Goombas! Or even Pac-Man, he eats his enemies. Why do I feel that senators and representatives don't do their research when they propose these laws?
Oklahoma representative Will Fourkiller (D. 86th District) should be taxed for proposing a stupid law.
Will Fourkiller (D. 86th District) How about not voting for this guy if he decides to go for a next term?
Remember when it was comics blamed for deliquency and violence... no, no, wait. It was movies. Oops, I mean plays. How about banning the Bible, which has influenced the most murders, hatred and violence in the history of mankind?
@Suikogaiden Haha he called me a retard I Guess he had nothing better to say, most people with an invalid point, or a weak mind will revert to name calling. It's ok, call me whatever you want; whatever helps you sleep at night and makes you feel better about yourself.
Get a job. Get a job. Get a job. Get a job...*sigh* I thought it was sposed to be the older generation saying that?
Would you tax books depicting violence? It's just as sedentary and arguably leaves a stronger impression than a video game.
I should have guessed it was a Dumbocrat. Here is his site with his phone number: http://www.okhouse.gov/District.aspx?District=86
Tax Army spending for 1% and you can even build a Moon base with that, on top of obesity etc.
This is a good way to ensure people in Oklahoma stop buying their games in Oklahoma. Idiots.
@smoke_dog_4ever oh yes, it always comes back to the wellfare thing..... You know for the most part the "Ghetto thugs" are supporting themselves and don't have or need wellfare (why would they risk arrest to get a hundred dollars a month from the government?) For the most part the people who are getting wellfare are old people, single mothers, and sick people. People who can't work. The oh ten million or so people getting a hundred dollars a month aren't the people ruining the economy, it's the depraved @$$holes who run their corporations into the ground and then get away with billions of dollars. Oh, and remember, these things snowball. It may be a one percent tax now but in ten years it'll be a fifty or seventy percent tax.
@ InstantKlassick Wrong. Intolerant, greedy, hateful, controlling douches invented violence. They come from all races, nationalities, theologies, genders, and ethnicities. Are you a part of the problem or a part of the solution?
"...... awareness to the violence in video games."? (Sigh) At this moment, I'm ashamed to say that I was born in the great state of Oklahoma. On a side note, Will Fourkiller? Is that a joke?
How about a tax on being an arrogant, controlling ass? Oh, that would probably drain his funds...
I think the tax should only apply to those people who were stupid enough to vote for you fourkiller...
Another example of government dogs using arbitrary tax laws to try and dictate what we do. "We don't want you to smoke" tax increase, "We don't want you to drink" tax increase.
How about a tax on ignorant politicians, every time they propose a bill like this? Even better, put a tax on ignorant parents that allow the government to be the parent for them.
Now THIS is what is stupid. How many Teen games have I played that are not really that violent? Quite a few. This is stupid.
They should have taxed cigarettes and fast food restaurants 1% more. Why tax video games more money. Did they forget video game prices increased this generation? That increased how much tax would come from video games already. I'm glad I don't live in Oklahoma.
@Suikogaiden Certainly Religion did not invent violence-- that part is human nature. But religion did play a rather massive role in mankind's history of war, death, ignorance and split lands. Just putting it out there.
Did you know bush invaded Iraq purely because he'd been playing to much CoD? Look I can make up excuses for people's stupid actions as well....
Fourkiller? What a violent name.... could inspire four ppl to kill or one to kill four ppl. Tax him for every year he's had it & every hince forth.
bullying ... gta... 6TF0... ppl mock at you, mock them back ppl kick u, kick them back ppl hit u, break his face, stop with the cryin mommy stuff i play many assassins game and i never killed any1. because it happened with one ppl who plays a game where u do the same is a coincidense, or drug dalers must play SAINTS ROW and GTA only coz they sell drugs?!?!?!?!?!?!
Oh yeah this is great, doing this would just push up the price of games. Why tax the games industry to help overweight people? I see the logic, but then it is totally ridiculous at the same time. I know it's harsh but it's no doubt their own fault. If they're doing that they should also tax all alcoholic beverages to help alcoholics..... Don't be so daft :|
Based on his own logic, Mr. Fourkiller should be taxed for his name. Well you never know what might influence a derp to kill 4 innocent bystanders these days.
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