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2019 will see the enactment of a slew of new laws across the country( in California alone, more than 1,000 will be added to the books ). In some states, minimum wages will go up, guns will be harder to obtain, plastic straws will get the boot and hunters will get to wear pink for a change.
Here are some of the noteworthy statutes going to get effect this year 😛 TAGEND
Tighter firearm restrictions in several countries
ASSOCIATED PRESS Following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, last February, thousands of protesters across the nation demanded stricter gun control measures.
In the wake of the shooting massacre at a Parkland, Florida, high school last year, California passed several measures to prevent domestic abusers and people with mental illness from obtaining handguns. Californians who are involuntarily committed to a mental institution twice in a year, or who are convicted of certain domestic violence offenses, could face a lifetime gun ownership ban.
Under an expanded Oregon law that went into effect on Jan. 1, domestic abuse wrongdoers or people under restraining notice are prohibited from owning or buying a handgun. In Illinois, authorities now have the right to seize firearms from people determined to be a danger to themselves or others. A similar “red flag” law will go into effect in New Jersey later this year.
At least six countries — California, Washington, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois and Vermont — and the District of Columbia are raising the minimum age from 18 to 21 for the purchase of long guns this year, CNBC reported.
Washington state will also be enforcing several other gun control measures, including enhanced background checks, secure handgun storage laws and a requirement for gun purchasers to provide proof they’ve undergone pistol security training.
New’ Me Too’ statutes
AP In 2018, the Me Too movement spurred many people to come forward with their narratives of sexual harassment and abuse — and inspired several states to pass new laws targeting sexual violence.
Several countries are taking aim at workplace sexual harassment. California has banned nondisclosure provisions in settlements involving claims of sexual assault, harassment or discrimination based on sex. California employers will also no longer be allowed to compel workers to sign nondisparagement agreements as a condition of employment or in exchange for a create or bonus.
By the end of 2019, publicly held firms in the Golden State will also need to have at least one female on their board of directors. Depending on the size of the board, firms will need to increase that number to at least two or three female board members by the end of 2021.
In New York, all employees will be required to complete annual sexual harassment prevention training. Larger industries in Delaware will have to provide such training to their workers, and legislators and their staff in Virginia will need to undergo such train every year.
Minimum wages get a boost
Though the federal minimum wage has languished at $7.25 since 2009, at least 19 nations, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Washington, will be raising their minimum wages this year. Each will boost its minimum wage to at the least $ 12. Some cities like New York, Seattle and Palo Alto, California, will see their wage floors increase to $15.
So long straws and stirrers !
ASSOCIATED PRESS Under a new California law, restaurant customers will have to explicitly ask for a plastic straw if they want to use one.
As public awareness mounts of the hazards of plastic trash pollution, cities and nations around the country have been targeting a major source of the problem: single-use plastic products like straws and food containers.
A new statute in New York City bars eateries, stores and manufacturers from use most foam products, including takeout containers, beakers and packing peanuts.
Eateries in the District of Columbia are now proscribed from giving out single-use plastic straws and stirrers. In California, restaurant patrons will need to ask explicitly for a plastic straw if they want to use one. Eateries can be fined $25 a day for serving liquors with plastic straws that aren’t requested by customers.
Former offenders in Florida can head to the voting booth
ASSOCIATED PRESS In November, Florida voted to approve a vote measure that enabled more than 1 million former felons to regain their voting rights.
On Jan. 8, Florida will restore the voting rights of all former offenders except those convicted of assassination or a misdemeanour sexual offense. Some 1.4 million possible voters will be added to the rolls — an addition that could have a significant effect on elections held in the sway state.
Utah implements strictest DUI law in the country
Utah has lowered its blood alcohol content standard for drunk driving to 0.05 percentage — the lowest limit in the country.
Under the new law, a driver who exceeds that restriction and causes the death of another person will be charged with criminal murder, a felony offense.
As CNN notes, all other U.S. countries have a blood alcohol concentration limit of 0.08 percent for noncommercial drivers. Since at the least 2013, the National Transportation Safety Board has been pushing to lower the limit to 0.05 nationwide.
Pet to get more rights in California
Pets in California will no longer be treated by courts as physical property in divorce cases. Instead, judges can decide who gets custody of the family pet.
Under a separate California law, pet stores will no longer be allowed to sell cats, puppies or rabbits that aren’t from animal shelters or nonprofit rescue groups. That statute, which took effect on Jan. 1, also requires that store owneds maintain proper documentation of the backgrounds of the dogs, cats and rabbits they sell.
In New York City, a new regulation forbiddings pharmacies from selling cigarettes and other tobacco products. And Massachusetts has raised the minimum age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21.
Nonbinary people can list their gender as’ X’ in NYC
People who identify as neither male nor female can now list their gender as “X” on birth certificates in New York City.
New Jersey requires all residents to have health insurance
A health insurance law in New Jersey that came into effect on Jan. 1 involves residents to maintain coverage or pay a penalty. It’s the second state in the country, after Massachusetts, to legislate private individuals health insurance mandate.
Vermont is paying remote workers to move there
In an effort to promote economic growth, Vermont has offered to pay some remote workers to relocate to the state.
Qualified applicants can each apply for up to $ 10,000 in funding. The country has earmarked $500,000 for the initiative, The Associated Press reported.
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner( R) said the new tint could be even more effective in helping hunters stand out.
“[ In the autumn] we’re hunting in trees and in some fields, there are orange leaves. There is orange in the background, so it’s not always easy to see orange, ” Rauner said, according to the Illinois News Network. “So we’re adding blaze pink to be one of the colors.”
Ohio kids will soon be required to learn cursive
In an age of text messaging and email, Ohio is attempting to keep the handwriting tradition of cursive alive. A new country law will require students to be able to write in cursive by the end of fifth grade.
