A Rhode Island legislator has called for taxing certain computer games, in order to raise revenue for a specific budget line. To be precise, Representative Nardolillo wants a 10% tax on M-rated video games, with funds going to pay for mental health programs.
There are several interesting points here. One is that Nardolillo is running for the United States Senate. Perhaps he's hoping for an anti-gaming cultural current to yield support. Or maybe he's keying off of Trump's recent maunderings.
Another is the now-classic citation of non-existent research:
"There is evidence that children exposed to violent video games at a young age tend to act more aggressively than those who are not," Nardolillo said in a statement, although he didn't provide any sources to substantiate his claim.
Perhaps we'll see a partisan dimension to game fear begin to unfold.
(thanks to Jesse Walker)
Comments