Source: sfstandard.com | Repost Duerson Fund 3/6/2023 –
State Assemblymember Kevin McCarty—not to be confused with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy—has introduced a bill that aims to ban tackle football for children under the age of 12 in California.
McCarty, a Democrat who represents Assembly District 6, covering some of Sacramento’s eastern suburbs, proposed a similar bill in 2018. That bill, AB 2108, was pulled before it could reach a committee hearing after it was met with resistance from grassroots organizations.
McCarty is the sole author of this year’s bill, AB 734. His 2018 effort was co-authored by Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, who became known around the state for introducing AB 5, a controversial labor rights law known as the Gig Worker Bill, in 2019.
The 2018 anti-tackle football bill also listed four Bay Area representatives as co-authors: Rob Bonta, Kevin Mullin, Bill Quirk and Philip Ting. Of those four, only Ting still serves in the state assembly.
“I think there’s a conversation to be had about youth sports in general and making it as safe as possible, but banning youth football before the age of 12 isn’t the best thing,” said Riordan head football coach Adhir Ravipati. “There are a lot of kids who play youth football that do so to get away from a bad home life. Youth sports build character and teach the value of teamwork.”