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California would have been the first state in
the U.S. to ban tackle football for kids, according to the
nonprofit newsroom CalMatters, though legislators in several
other states have introduced similar, unsuccessful bills out of
concern that blows to the head in contact sports can cause brain
injuries.
State Assembly Member Kevin McCarty, a Democrat from Sacramento,
had advanced his proposed ban past a sports committee last week,
setting the bill up for a vote on the Assembly floor.
But Newsom, a Democrat widely considered to be preparing for a
future run for the White House, announced late on Tuesday he
would refuse to sign any ban.
"I am deeply concerned about the health and safety of our young
athletes, but an outright ban is not the answer," Newsom said.
In response, McCarty said in a statement on Wednesday, "We will
not take up AB 734 - which would have phased out kids 12 years
old and younger from playing youth tackle football."
American football remains wildly popular, even as the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National
Institutes of Health and have linked it to increased risk of
chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Boston University researchers diagnosed 345 of 378 former
professional players studied with CTE.
Interest in the topic grew after a number of former players died
by suicide, including Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau, who
was found to have suffered from CTE.
McCarty said he welcomed Newsom's offer "to work on ways to
better protect our youngest athletes and keep them safe from
repetitive head hits."
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Sonali Paul)
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