Missouri lawmaker wants tax on violent video games

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A Republican lawmaker from rural Missouri is calling for a sales tax on violent video games in response to a deadly Connecticut school shooting.

Rep. Diane Franklin, of Camdenton, said Tuesday that the 1 percent sales tax would finance mental health programs and law enforcement measures to prevent mass shootings.

Franklin's proposal is the latest in a string of measures proposed nationwide in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that killed 20 students and six adults.

It is likely to be a tough sell, however. Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon both have taken stands against tax increases.

Similar legislation to tax violent video games failed in Oklahoma and New Mexico in recent years.

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