Despite claims of rumor mill, issue is apparently resolved

From the CAP News page:

June 9, 2009 (CAP Newswire) -- Late last Friday, reports began circulating that the state of Minnesota was ending its quest to block its citizens’ access to the Internet, in an attempt to prevent online gambling. Over the weekend, however, the rumor mill refused to fully believe it, stating that reports were unconfirmed.

Well, consider them now confirmed. The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association, iMEGA, has stated on its website that the state’s censorship attempts have been officially dropped. Being one of the primary legal opponents to the action, iMEGA would not make such a statement were it not true.

“We’re very happy with the outcome,” Joe Brennan Jr., iMEGA’s chairman, said in the statement. “It was clear the public opposed this, and the swift negotiated settlement by DPS and AGED demonstrates both the merit of our suit and the shaky legal ground that the original ‘black list’ were based.

“We’re glad this did not have to go the distance through the courts,” Brennan continued. “To their credit, the officials from attorney-general’s office, DPS and Mr. Willems have been reasonable and professional throughout this process. Even though we were on opposite sides of this issue, they really wanted to get things right. It’s a refreshing change from some of the encounters we’ve had with other state governments.”

To read the original statement at the iMEGA website, please click here.