Illinois lawmakers may have made use of lists of games not suitable for children like the one you see here, but the lists weren't enough to stop a federal judge from striking down a law that would have banned the sale of violent and sexually explicit games to minors.

The Safe Games Illinois Act was set to go into effect in less than a month, but this ruling means the act won't be seeing any action anytime soon. A rather large Chicago newspaper described the law's flimsy legal foundations back in March, quoting a local lawmaker who hoped the Supreme Court would bail the state out of passing the unconstitutional measure. [See this blogger's old post here for more.]

If elected officials from both parties continue to pass bills they know are "patently unconstitutional," can we really expect politicians to do the right thing without serious political pressure from their constituents (rather than simply relying on the lobbying organizations set up by game publishers)? Hopefully the governor will have more to say on the matter, considering the judge's written opinion which follows: "In this country, the state lacks the authority to ban protected speech on the ground that it affects the listener's or observer's thoughts and attitudes."

For another take on this news, check out BloggingBaby's radical suggestion for parents.

[Thanks, John and Mack]