(Sacramento, CA) — California Governor Gavin Newsom is vowing to veto Sacramento Democrat Kevin McCarty’s bill aiming to ban tackle football for kids twelve and under. In a statement, the Governor said that while he is concerned about the health and safety of young athletes, “an outright ban is not the answer.”

Newsom says his administration will work with the Legislature and Assembly member McCarty to make tackle football safer for all, while still allowing parents the freedom to decide which sports are most appropriate for their kids.