From G4
Massachusetts lawmakers are meeting to discuss a bill that would treat some videogames as pornography. The bill reads:
SECTION 1. Section 31 of Chapter 272 of the General Laws, as 2 appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by 3 deleting the definition Harmful to Minors inserting the following 4 new definition: 5 Harmful to minors, matter is harmful to minors if it is obscene 6 or, if taken as a whole, it (1) describes or represents nudity, sexual 7 conduct or sexual excitement, so as to appeal predominantly to the 8 prurient interest of minors; (2) depicts violence in a manner patently 9 offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community, so as to 10 appeal predominantly to the morbid interest in violence of minors; 11 (3) is patently contrary to prevailing standards of adults in the 12 county where the offense was committed as to suitable material for 13 such minors; and (4) lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scien14 tific value for minors.
SECTION 2. Said Section 31 of Chapter 272, as so appearing, is 2 hereby further amended by inserting in the definition of Visual 3 Material after the word videotape, the following: interactive 4 media,.
The bill is similar to a Jack Thompson sponsored bill that was declared unconstitutional in Louisiana.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has advocates the bill, and the main legislative sponsor is Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry, a democrat.
Massachusetts lawmakers are meeting to discuss a bill that would treat some videogames as pornography. The bill reads:
SECTION 1. Section 31 of Chapter 272 of the General Laws, as 2 appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by 3 deleting the definition Harmful to Minors inserting the following 4 new definition: 5 Harmful to minors, matter is harmful to minors if it is obscene 6 or, if taken as a whole, it (1) describes or represents nudity, sexual 7 conduct or sexual excitement, so as to appeal predominantly to the 8 prurient interest of minors; (2) depicts violence in a manner patently 9 offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community, so as to 10 appeal predominantly to the morbid interest in violence of minors; 11 (3) is patently contrary to prevailing standards of adults in the 12 county where the offense was committed as to suitable material for 13 such minors; and (4) lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scien14 tific value for minors.
SECTION 2. Said Section 31 of Chapter 272, as so appearing, is 2 hereby further amended by inserting in the definition of Visual 3 Material after the word videotape, the following: interactive 4 media,.
The bill is similar to a Jack Thompson sponsored bill that was declared unconstitutional in Louisiana.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino has advocates the bill, and the main legislative sponsor is Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry, a democrat.
