A federal appeals court in June overturned a St. Louis County, Mo., law restricting minors' access to some video games. The court reversed a district court's conclusion that video games are not protected speech. The court found that St. Louis County's contention that the games can damage some players' psychological health was "unsupported in the record." Another appeals court struck down a similar law in Indianapolis in 2001.

Washington state Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, who sponsored the bill in her state, said her legislation isn't censorship. "There is a great deal of precedent for restricting dangerous things like alcohol and tobacco to minors," she says.