Wednesday, January 1st 2020
Major new laws take effect today
With the New Year having begun, a slew of new laws passed last year now go into effect. Some major changes will happen around the country, including a nationwide raising of the age to buy tobacco, as well as many statewide changes, including minimum wage hikes, data privacy laws, gun purchase laws and more.
Some of the many changes now in effect across the country:
Tobacco purchase age raised to 21 nationally
Many states and municipalities had already raised the age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21 as part of a push to curb use among teens and young adults. As of today, that is now the law nationwide after a bipartisan bill amending the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act was signed by President Sam Seaborn shortly before Congress adjourned for the holidays. The ban applies to all tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes.
Same-sex marriage legalized in Tennessee
Same-sex couples in Tennessee are now able to apply for marriage licenses. The Volunteer State ended its defense of its ban on same-sex marriage after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 2019, and a federal District Court ruling subsequently found in favor of the plaintiffs who challenged the state's ban. Only ten states continue to define marriage solely as between a man and a woman. The Supreme Court is likely to address the issue during the remainder of its current term.
New York ends cash bail for most offenses
New York State judges will no longer set money (or cash) bail for misdemeanors and most non-violent felonies. The move comes as criminal justice reform advocates say that the laws have kept poorer people in jail awaiting trial just because they could not afford bail, while wealthier people charged with the same offenses could stay free until their day in court. The ruling also frees most of those currently in custody who could not pay their cash bail under offenses where money bail will no longer be offered.
In lieu of cash bail, other forms of supervision, such as mandatory check-ins or calls, will be used to ensure that defendants appear in court. Cash bail will still be used for those accused of violent felonies.
The move is part of a trend among many states to reform their bail systems, with New Jersey and Illinois in recent years having reformed their bail systems. California voters will vote on a bill during this year's midterm elections on whether to eliminate cash bail for most non-violent offenses.
"Red flag" laws go into effect in California, Nevada, Hawaii
Three Western states will now allow family members, law enforcement and others to petition a court to temporarily block a person from accessing firearms if a judge determines the person is a threat to themselves or others. These laws, called "red flag" laws, mirror those adopted in a dozen other states, such as Florida, Illinois and Massachusetts that similarly allow for a temporary confiscation of firearms from a person a court deems to be a credible threat to themselves or others.
The laws are part of a nationwide effort to reduce gun violence and prevent mass shootings.
California changes laws on data privacy, gig economy work, police use of force
A spate of dramatic new laws take effect today in California, ranging from laws on data privacy to "gig economy" work to the use of force by police.
Signed by Governor Abbie Heilemann, California's new laws on data privacy are among the strongest in the nation. The laws will allow consumers to ask companies what data has been collected on them, ask them to delete it, or forbid selling it to third-parties. The law also applies to companies doing business in California that collect their user's data, such as Facebook, Amazon, Google, Apple and others.
The Golden State's new labor law could upend the "gig economy" there: it requires some companies to reclassify "independent contractors" as employees, which provides them with added benefits and protections. Companies such as Uber have already filed suit with the state over the new law. The app-based rideshare program employs thousands of drivers as independent contractors and providing them with benefits enjoyed by employees―such as a minimum wage, and disability or heath insurance―would cut deeply into the business' revenue.
Finally, California lawmakers made an attempt to reduce the number of fatal police shootings by raising the standard for when law enforcement is allowed to use deadly force. New language allows law enforcement in California to use deadly force "only when necessary", a change from the previous standard of "whenever reasonable".
Minimum wage goes up in 21 states
The statewide minimum wage in 21 states and an additional 26 cities and counties has increased as of today. It is the largest number of jurisdictions to raise their minimum wage at one point in American history. In 15 cities and counties, the minimum wage will increase to $15 per hour, while 7 states and 17 counties and cities will have their wages increased due to a rise in either the cost of living or inflation.
The federal minimum wage has not increased since 2009, with states and municipalities having to make increases in the meantime. The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill that would gradually increase the minimum wage over the next five years, but the bill has not been taken up by the Republican-led Senate.