EMA supports revised Wisconsin secondhand goods bill

Entertainment Merchants Assn. legislative update for January

-- Video Business, 2/8/2008

FEB. 8 | The following summarizes key government affairs activities during January of the Entertainment Merchants Assn.

• Wisconsin Secondhand Goods Bill: The bill has been redrafted to fully address EMA’s concerns. Originally, AB 301 would have subjected occasional sellers of secondhand DVDs, CDs and videogames to recordkeeping and holding requirements. The proposed amendment deletes the expansion of the secondhand goods requirement to sellers who are not “primarily engaged” in that business. For those that are, the amendment would reduce the holding requirement if the business engages in electronic reporting. EMA supports the rewritten amendment.

• New Mexico Videogame Tax Bill: EMA opposes aproposed 1% excise tax on sales of videogames, videogame equipment and TVs in the state of New Mexico (House Bill 583). The measure was introduced by state Rep. Gail Chasey on Jan. 29. In public statements and a letter to the Rio Grande Chapter of the Sierra Club, which is championing the measure, EMA noted that the proposed tax is ill-conceived and in all likelihood unconstitutional. “The proposed tax is based on the suspect assumption that videogames are uniquely responsible for an increase in child obesity and poor school performance,” EMA noted. “Childhood obesity and academic underperformance are complex social problems that have a myriad of suspected causes. Targeting videogames as a major contributor to these problems is unjustified and not supported by a scientific consensus.” EMA also declared that the bill would heavily burden First Amendment-protected speech and is likely unconstitutional.

• Tennessee Media Violence Resolution: EMA opposes a proposed state Senate resolution (SJR 613) that would form a joint legislative committee “to study the adverse social impact of the portrayal of violence in the electronic media.” The measure is aimed at TV and videogames but would likely also focus on movies as well. Although the resolution calls for a “study,” EMA believes it is not balanced in its approach.