The Failed Under 12 Youth Football Tackle Ban: The Democrats Evade A Huge Issue
AB 734 officially pulled from being heard
By Evan Symon, January 18, 2024 5:29 pm
In just over a week, Assembly Bill 734, authored by Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), went through one of the craziest short falls and rises in recent legislative history in Sacramento. Built on the premise of safety, AB 734 would have prohibited youth football players under the age of 12 from playing the tackle version of the sport. However, massive public backlash, including a rare message by Governor Gavin Newsom saying he would not sign a bill months in advance, put the bill as dead on arrival.
“I am deeply concerned about the health and safety of our young athletes, but an outright ban is not the answer,” said Newsom on Tuesday. “My administration will work with the Legislature and the bill’s author to strengthen safety in youth football — while ensuring parents have the freedom to decide which sports are most appropriate for their children.”
With virtually now no support, McCarty pulled the bill officially on Thursday.
In a brief statement, the Assemblyman expressed that “We will not take up AB 734, which would have phased out kids 12 years old and younger from playing youth tackle football. I look forward to working with the Governor, on ways to better protect our youngest athletes and keep them safe from repetitive head hits, which can cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).”
However, the bill, for many, went beyond football and childrens safety, and into areas such as government overreach and the erosion of parental rights. With Democrats not wanting to touch those issues in the 2024 election, AB 734 would have been an always present issue in California, and one in which they could not easily go around.
AB 734 pulled after barely a week in the Assembly
“We had a planning meeting where parents were allowed to come earlier this week,” said Jay Kowalski a youth football coach in the Bay Area to the Globe on Thursday. “Usually only a few come to talk about what the costs are going to be like this year or things like that. You know, this early in the year, football season is still a long way away. We had dozens come, all wanting to talk about this. Some were there on safety, but most seemed to come out and want to vent about how this was just going too far and what we intended to do about it. And look, this is an area that is fairly liberal. If that was the reaction we got here, you can imagine what other areas are like.”
Dana, a Capitol staffer, added, “Oh yeah, it was turning into a huge political headache. The Dems did not need another huge government oversight debate coming up this year, and AB 734 was turning into that. Could you imagine all the parents and football people coming out during the summer and fall to rally against this? Oh, and especially with an overlap between football season and the session?”
“I mean, Newsom blatantly said that parental freedoms would be part of this in his statement. They knew exactly the storm that was coming. Now, this bill could get a soft reboot next year. Non-election year, as well as fresh statistics on injuries to work with. That seems likely. If McCarty wanted this passed, he would have waited, but instead he jumped the gun.”
“I don’t think this was a bill put into place just to make Newsom look good by vetoing it. If you want parental groups to support you and the Athletic vote, there are much easier ways to have it done. And besides, McCarty will always have to carry this around with him.”
For some however, they just see it as a victory.
“This is just another huge potential regulation that we didn’t need,” said Jill Waterston, who helps lead school athletic programs in San Diego, to the Globe. “Newsom isn’t the savior here, he was just reacting to common sense. This is the sort of thing we need to keep our eye on. This could have been one heck of a debate topic this year.”
AB 734 has been officially pulled from the legislative docket this year.
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This reeks of an election year stunt.
Is Noisome concerned about all the young athletes that are dropping dead from heart attacks? Crickets.
…. or being brainwashed and pushed (in the public schools, in part, and by the way with your support, Newsom) to think they are the opposite gender so they will sign up for irreversible hormone therapy and mutilating surgeries which ruin their lives and health for the rest of their lives? No, that’s just fine, too. Commendable, in fact. So much so that Newsom is bursting with pride that California is now a “transgender sanctuary state.” Is that just ‘common sense,’ too?
What’s more, the very idea that Newsom is suddenly a “common-sense” governor is preposterous. If he can think and behave reasonably now it means he could have thought and behaved reasonably for his entire governorship. But noooo……instead we have been subjected to his jackboot on our necks for most of it. His backers and apologists need to remember that out here in the real world we have L-O-N-G memories of this governor’s years of abuse and his complete disregard, with middle finger on high, of the will of the people. There are many many many items on that list for sure.
Furthermore, this particular bill may have been pulled, and we’re supposed to be glad about that, but just remember that the wacky thinking of the super-majority Dem/Marxist legislature and most of the state office holders remains. For example, what is to stop them from deciding that all of football isn’t “safe” and trying to to ban that? And of course there is a long list of items these people HAVE successfully banned in this state simply because they don’t like them or agree with them. Heck with the consequences, right?
ASM Kevin McCarty, AB734’s author, has a penchant for promoting government overreach and dismissing constituent concerns. Beware: he is presently running for mayor of Sacramento.
Just what Sacramento doesn’t need is another radical leftist Democrat like Kevin McCarty as mayor? Kevin McCarty is another career Democrat who goes from one political office to another and he would starve if taxpayers weren’t supporting him?