Missouri Rep. Diane Franklin takes aim at taxing violent video games

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• Will gamers be fighting taxation and alien invasion?

Missouri Rep. Diane Franklin has violent video games in her crosshairs. The Camdenton Republican introduced HB 157 yesterday, a bill that levies a 1 percent tax on any “violent video game,” which is defined as “a video or computer game that has received a rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board of Teen, Mature, or Adult Only.” The money raised by the tax would go into the general fund and be used for the “treatment of mental health conditions associated with exposure to violent video games.”

While the intent of the bill is clear, its execution may be more difficult. Show-Me Daily, the blog arm of the Show-Me Institute, notes that basing the definition on the ESRB rating system means that nonviolent games such as Guitar Hero and The Sims are likely to be subject to the proposed tax because they are rated for teens.

Should Missouri have a tax on violent video games?