Sacramento leaders take aim at a 76-year-old comic book ban
Did you know that it has been technically illegal to distribute most comic books within the city of Sacramento — from Batman to the Marvel Universe — to children who are under the age of 18?
That is why two Sacramento City Council members proposed the repeal of an antiquated, 76-year-old law that was still on the books.
“For me, it’s a slam dunk,” said Sacramento Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum. “It’s been sitting on the books since 1949 pretty much unenforced and we are looking to clean up bits of code we don’t need anymore.”
Passed in 1949, City Code item 9.12.010 states that “it is unlawful for any person to distribute…for use by persons under the age of eighteen years any book…commonly known as ‘comic book’ in which there is prominently featured an account of crime, and which depicts… the commission of the crimes of arson, assault with caustic chemicals, assault with a deadly weapon, burglary, kidnapping, torture, mayhem, murder, rape, robbery, theft or voluntary manslaughter.”
The ordinance essentially jeopardized comic bookstores, libraries and conventions held in Sacramento.
“There are so many things across the country in terms of book banning and freedom of speech and this is our opportunity to reaffirm freedom in this fun space,” Pluckebaum said. “While this maybe isn’t the highest priority issue facing the city right now, but it is definitely an easy one for us to support.”
This proposal, which was presented at Tuesday’s Law and Legislation Committee meeting and unanimously approved, also sought to show support for creative arts by designating the third week of September as “Sacramento Comic Book Week.”
“This is more than a clean up of our rolls, it highlights what the community is doing in this creative space,” added the councilmember.
The proposal will next come before the full council for a vote.
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