Violent Video Games Legislation Headed to the Governor
 The Michigan Senate this week put the finishing touches on a concurrent bill with the House that would make it illegal to sell ultra-violent video games to minors. The final legislation passed by a vote of 35-2. It now awaits the Governor's signature.
"Michigan Family Forum is pleased to have been one of the key organizations involved in helping initiate this important legislation," said MFF Executive Director Brad Snavely. "One of our core values is to protect our state's children, and this bill will help do just that. Research shows, and experts agree, exposure to video game violence is harmful to children. The state has an obligation to protect its children from the ill effects of ultra-violent video games."
Governor Granholm has indicated her support for such legislation in the past. Click here to contact the Governor to ask for her signature on the ultra-violent video games legislation. To view the bill, click here.
FRC President on the Ground in Louisiana
 Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony Perkins, a native of Louisiana, is on the ground in that state assisting with hurricane relief. Perkins has teamed up with PRC Compassion, an organization of churches and pastors affiliated with the Louisiana Family Forum that band together to help those in need through connecting faith-based organizations with available government resources.
In his weekly email to FRC friends and supporters, Perkins expressed frustration with the difficulty he and others at PRC Compassion have encountered in trying to obtain resources for churches providing help in the area. For information on PRC Compassion, click here.
Schwarzenegger Says He'll Veto California's Same-Sex Marriage Bill
 With blatant disregard for the will of its citizens, the California Legislature this week voted to legalize same-sex marriage in that state. If signed into law, California would become the first state in the nation to "voluntarily" legalize same-sex marriage through the legislative process, rather than by court order.
However, early this morning, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement saying that "out of respect for the will of the people," he planned to veto the bill. In 2000, the citizens of California overwhelmingly passed a proposal (Proposition 22) stating that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."
The future of same-sex marriage in California remains unclear, even with the Governor's planned veto. Challenges to Proposition 22 are ongoing in the courts, as well as interpretation of existing marriage law in the California Constitution. However, for the time being, it appears that a "legislative override" of the vote of the people has been averted.
For more on this developing story, click here. For information about this issue from Focus on the Family, click here.
Quote of the Week
"Video games differ from more passive mediums, such as comic books, in one important way," said researcher Kimberly Thompson. "They are interactive. When you play a video game you get feedback, you're rewarded." In fact, her investigation into a wide range of popular, teen-rated games found that "players were being rewarded for committing acts of violence. So basically, violence becomes just a part of how you move on in the game."
Source: E.J. Mundell, "Violent Video Games Spur Aggression in Kids," HealthDay, August 19, 2005. "http://health.myway.com/art/id/527504.html"
President Nominates Roberts for Chief Justice
 The nation this week mourned the passing of Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist who served on the Court for more than thirty years - nineteen as Chief Justice. President Bush praised Rehnquist's leadership and announced that he was nominating Judge John Roberts to replace him as the head of the nine-member Court.
Judge Roberts at one time clerked for Chief Justice Rehnquist and viewed him as a mentor and friend. With the nomination of Roberts as Chief Justice, the President is now charged with finding a new replacement for retiring justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
For information on the Supreme Court nomination process, click here. To read Michigan Family Forum's press release calling for a fair confirmation process, click here.
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