VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES TARGETED IN NEW BILL.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO - A bill to ban the sale of violent video games to minors passed a key committee Tuesday and will now return to a committee where a similar effort was defeated last year.

The bill by Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, would impose a $1,000 fine on retailers who sell violent games to anyone 16 years old or younger.

Those testifying against the bill included representatives of the Motion Picture Association of America, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Recording Industry Association of America, the California Chamber of Commerce and game retailers and manufacturers.

Among those testifying in favor of the bill were health-care professionals, academics, women's rights groups and about 40 Girl Scouts from around the state, including several from the San Fernando Valley region.

``Violent video games create a harmful atmosphere for young children,'' said Alyssa Franke, 13, a Girl Scout from Agoura Hills. ``They are not age-appropriate and they can scar the minds of these young children forever.''

Industry representatives and free-speech advocates argued the bill was a violation of First Amendment rights and would be difficult to implement. They also said the industry's current system of self-rating and voluntary compliance by retailers is sufficient.

``We believe the legislation is unnecessary because the industry already recognizes the importance of enforcing the voluntary ratings,'' Maryanne Lataif, spokeswoman for Santa Monica-based Activision, said in an interview. ``And (the industry) is working with retail partners to achieve that goal.''

During the hearing, legislators were shown video clips of some violent games such as Grand Theft Auto, Duke Nukem and Postal 2, in which the player shoots down random people on the street or in a church, sets them on fire and decapitates them.

Yee cited research that found a link between repeated use of violent video games and violent behavior in children.

``These video games teach our children how to kill, how to maim, how to hurt people, women, minorities, poor people,'' Yee said. ``These are not the lessons we should be teaching our children.''

The Assembly Judiciary Committee passed the bill on an 8-0 vote and it is next headed to the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media, where a similar bill by Yee was defeated last year after industry lobbying.

Yee said he has made changes to the bill since last year, including adding the $1,000 fine. He also added more allies, including a number of Girl Scout troops.

Harrison Sheppard, [phone]

harrison.sheppard(at)dailynews.com