It seems that all the lobbying efforts in Illinois have failed. This is very bad, not only for gamers, but for lovers of freedom as well.

Lawmakers voted Saturday to ban the sale of violent or sexually explicit video games to minors in Illinois, a move other states and cities have tried but federal courts have repeatedly struck down.

Never mind that it is unconstitutional, make a statement! Show the voters you care about them! They WANT you to restrict what they see, hear and can buy! Show them that we have family values too! Oh, make sure you do it on Saturday so that the media can't make a stink.

"In today's world, parents face unprecedented challenges in monitoring and protecting their children from harmful influences. This bill will make their job easier," Blagojevich said, praising the House's 106-6 vote. The state Senate approved the bill earlier this month.

"Its about the CHILDREN" (tm Leftists)

WAIT! 106 to 6? HOLY CRAP!

The legislation leaves it to stores to determine which games are too violent or sexually explicit for minors, and retailers have argued it turns them into violence and sensitivity police.

Yeah, it leaves it to them to decide how much they want to risk the force of the state coming down on them. A reasonable store manager would err on the side of keeping his butt out of jail; a slightly more cautious one would stop selling games altogether.

A federal judge last summer struck down a Washington state ban as a violation of free speech because it prohibited selling to minors video games depicting violence against police officers but not other depictions of violence. Federal courts have also struck down bans in Indianapolis and St. Louis County, Mo., saying the measures encroach on the First Amendment

Yet another reason to confirm Conservative Judges, to protect us from legislating away our freedom of speech and expression.

Leftists always say that they are the side of civil rights, and then they do crap like this. The religious right and the moonbat left might approve of censorship by proxy, I do not.