Schwarzenegger Signatures

Two of the controversial bills facing the governor got signed. One, AB 1179 bans the sale or rental of violent video games to anyone under the age of 18 and requires labels on such games. The bill also imposes up toa $1000 fine on anyone who fails to follow this law. The second, SB 37 prohibits performance enhancing dietary supplements from being used by high school student athletes and requires student-athletes and their parents to sign a pledge not to use them. A similar bill was vetoed last year, and became the center of controversy when it was revealed that Schwarzenegger had a multi-million dollar contract with muscle magazines that earn much of their revenue from supplements. Because the bills were signed on a Friday, they will be publicized on the typically low-news day of Saturday. "Today I signed legislation to ensure parent involvement in determining which video games are appropriate for their children. The bill I signed will require that violent video games be clearly labeled and not be sold to children under 18 years old. Many of these games are made for adults and choosing games that are appropriate for kids should be a decision made by their parents," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "I also signed into law legislation that will improve foster care services, guard kids from the dangers of steroid use, protect children and everyone from accidental fires by requiring cigarette manufacturers to change the way they make their products, improve the adoption process in California and save babies from neglect and abuse. It is very important to continue putting our children first and doing everything we can to protect their well-being."