In the News 2010

EDITORIAL: Leland Yee - The college crusader (Los Angeles Times)

December 05, 2010

The state senator admirably persists in seeking more oversight of college fundraising foundations.

State Sen. Leland Yee (D- San Francisco) has been one of the Legislature's most determined advocates of government accountability in recent years, a sometimes lonely undertaking in a Capitol dominated by public employee unions that want to hide their members' salaries and police unions that want to let officers hide their identities when they shoot people.

Senator to revive his higher ed foundation 'transparency' bill (Sacramento Bee)

December 03, 2010

It ended up twice vetoed. But it was a bill that gained traction after students demanded to know how much Sarah Palin was paid to speak at a California State University campus fundraiser this year.

Today Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, announced that when the state Senate reconvenes Monday he plans to re-introduce a bill that would force more disclosure of information from private foundations linked to public higher education.

Tea party initiative blasted (San Mateo Daily Journal)

November 26, 2010

By Bill Silverfarb Daily Journal staff

A local tea party activist's effort to put an Arizona-style immigration measure on a statewide ballot in 2012 has drawn the ire of local lawmakers, one who calls the effort racist and another who calls it unconstitutional.

A signature-gathering effort is under way in support of a ballot initiative similar to the controversial Arizona immigration law that would make it illegal to hire undocumented workers, which proponents of the measure call "slave" labor.

More calls to rein in Cow Palace (San Mateo Daily Journal)

November 09, 2010

By Michelle Durand Daily Journal Staff

The calls for greater regulation of events at the Cow Palace in Daly City are getting louder in the wake of 15 Spookfest partygoers being hospitalized, following on the heels of two deaths at a May rave.

State Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco/San Mateo, said if the Cow Palace doesn't act immediately to better protect the community, he will introduce legislation requiring it to provide medical and police personnel in advance of hosting raves.

EDITORIAL: High court should allow video game law (San Francisco Chronicle)

November 02, 2010

We doubt that any Supreme Court justice plays Postal 2, a video game that lets a player burn people alive, beat a cop to death and decapitate girls with a shovel. But the high court should let California bar the sale of violent games to buyers under 18.

The court is due to hear arguments today over a law that offers sensible protection to keep inappropriate and harmful videos out of the game-playing consoles of children.

High court case on violent games tests limits on speech (USA Today)

November 02, 2010

By Joan Biskupic, USA TODAY

To Los Angeles video game developer Ted Price, the interactive nature of modern video games - even those that include disturbing images - can match the emotional arc of the finest literature.

"Many games today have deep stories and draw heavily from our literary heritage," says Price, who founded Insomniac Games in 1994 and created franchises that include Ratchet and Clank for young teens and the Resistance first-person shooter series for mature audiences.

Yet, to California Democratic Sen.

U.S. Supreme Court to hear challenge to California violent video game law (San Jose Mercury News)

November 01, 2010

By Howard Mintz

Every state in the nation prevents minors from legally buying cigarettes, beer or porn magazines. Now the U.S. Supreme Court must decide whether to add violent video games such as "Postal 2" to the tawdry list.

In a legal showdown set for Tuesday, the justices will hear arguments in a challenge to a 2005 California law that bars the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. They are reviewing two lower-court rulings that put the law on hold, saying it is too vague and runs afoul of the First Amendment.

Supreme Court to hear violent video game case (Associated Press)

November 01, 2010

LONG BEACH - Before picking up any Wii games or downloading apps on her iPhone for her two daughters, Lillian Quintero does her homework. She'll first read reviews online and in magazines, then try them out for herself. If she thinks the games are engaging and educational enough, 4-year-old Isabella and 2-year-old Sophia are free to play.

"I know there's going to be a point where they get these things on their own," said the 35-year-old mother from Long Beach, Calif. "We're not going to be there to monitor everything.

Videogames as Free-Speech Issue (Wall Street Journal)

November 01, 2010

By JESS BRAVIN

The high court on Tuesday will hear a case regarding violence in videogames. Above, a still from 'Fallout 3.'

ROCKVILLE, Md.-Videogame designers at ZeniMax Media Inc.'s Bethesda Softworks destroyed a virtual U.S. Capitol, Jefferson Memorial and other landmarks in the Mature-rated "Fallout 3," which depicts the ruins of post-apocalyptic Washington.

They didn't bother to obliterate the U.S. Supreme Court.

Supreme Court to hear ultra-violent video game case (San Mateo Daily Journal)

October 28, 2010

By Bill Silverfarb

Ultra-violent video games and whether they should be sold to children will be debated in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday.

A 2005 law authored by state Sen.