Judge: Louisiana must pay ESA's legal bill, Taxpayers: Crap.
"The Court wonders why nobody objected to the enactment of this statute. In this court's view the taxpayers deserve more from their elected officials."
We've heard some harsh criticism of video game legislation before, but this holds just a bit more weight than the others. It's not just that it was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge James Brady (represented here by the lovable [yet honorable] Judge Harry Stone). No, this criticism is special thanks to the price tag of $92,000 attached to it that the state of Louisiana must pay to cover the Electronic Software Association's legal fees. It's the latest shockwave from House Bill 1381, which would've banned the sale of "violent" video games to minors. Surprising no one, the bill at the heart of the controversy was written by fear-mongering superstar, Jack Thompson, attorney-at-lawl. Also of no surprise: It was ruled unconstitutional.
But don't get excited just yet, as bill sponsor Rep. Roy Burrell (D) says he might try again with a similar bill. Well, why wouldn't he? When a bump in your approval rating among frightened parents (read: voters) is on the line, is $92,000 in taxpayer dollars really such a high price to pay?
