Free Republic

From laws increasing penalties against gang activity to new restrictions on gender-affirming care, there are several new laws that will go into effect on July 1. Here is a breakdown of what will change on Saturday: House Bill 147: The Safe Schools Act modernizes school safety protocols by equipping teachers with skills to protect students. It also establishes a voluntary School Safety and Anti-gang Endorsement for teachers to help them spot and prevent gang activity and recruitment in classrooms. House Bill 188: Mariam’s Law toughens requirements for sexual offenders upon their release from prison, and mandates electronic monitoring as a...

Since California is so progressive (in a bad way) and effects many other states including the feds, I thought some freepers would like to see that we can still out do anything we have done so far.

Everything from tigers to taxes and wine to willingness is covered by new laws taking effect in the new year. A New York law bans tiger selfies starting in February. They've been increasingly used by young men as social media profile photos. No photos with lions or other big cats either. Wine gets a boost in the Bay State. Out-of-state wineries can ship bottles directly to consumers in Massachusetts. California is trying to end any question over whether no really means yes.

New Year’s Day will usher in hundreds of new laws in California, including a landmark law that allows undocumented individuals to receive a driver’s license. In all, California will add 930 new laws, most of which will go into effect Thursday. Some of the most talked-about laws won’t take effect until July, such as a statewide ban on plastic bags, required sick leave for employees and a requirement that new smartphones come with antitheft technology.

It’s a new year and you know what that means — new regulations. The Obama administration has wasted no time in writing them. The website Regulations.gov lists 141 regulations that have been posted by federal agencies in the last three days alone. Of these regulations, 119 are “rulemaking,” meaning they establish a new rule. Twenty-three are “non-rulemaking,” meaning the regulations does not establish a new rule. The largest group of regulations have to do with energy and environmental issues, many of them issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. One new EPA regulation is an amendment to a rule on hazardous...

(CNN) - It may have been the least productive year for Congress in history, at least in terms of passing laws – fewer than 60 of which made it through the House and Senate and were signed by President Barack Obama. Across the country, however, state lawmakers were busy getting more than 40,000 bills passed, ones that tackle everything from drones to food stamp benefits. In Illinois for example, teenagers will no longer get to use tanning beds without a doctor's note. If you live in Delaware, visit the shark fin buffet while you can, a new law will make...

Detaining Americans In The Name Of Economic Recovery By Joel Bowman 04/07/10 Taipei, Taiwan – Monday was Tomb Sweeping Day here in Taiwan, a national holiday. Without a tomb of his own to sweep, your Aussie editor took advantage of the long weekend and flew to Borneo for a scheduled visa run. The island is a quick, 3-hour flight south from Taipei and, with the expansion of budget airline routes around the region, one can get down there for about $150 return. Not bad. We landed in Kota Kinabalu, a quaint little town on the west coast with a smattering...

Another new year, another list of new laws affecting California motorists. This year's batch includes restrictions on cell phone use, a law making it easier for vehicle owners to replace lost keys, and a prohibition of smoking in vehicles that contain minors. Assemblyman Todd Spitzer, R-Anaheim, voted against two bills that will go into effect this year. "It starts to cross over to a nanny state when law enforcement officials are trying to regulate every aspect of everyone's lives," Spitzer said of the smoking ban. Similarly, Spitzer voted against the cell phone restriction, which will require motorists to use hands-free...

There are so many difficult aspects of the illegal alien problem that it becomes tempting to throw up our hands and step away from it, but we can’t do this. We’re America. We don’t lose. We don’t run from problems, we fix them. The invasion of illegal aliens is one of the most serious problems we face today. We will not, we can not step away from it. We can not hide ourselves in a corner and wait until someone else solves this problem. We are that “someone else”. There is no “someone else”. Our cities and towns are being...

SACRAMENTO — Happy new-law day. Gov. Schwarzenegger signed 729 bills into law last year, and many of them take effect today. The laws touch many parts of life, including making it illegal to hunt via the Internet, drive miniature motorcycles on roadways and sell violent video games to minors. Driving ... Courts ...Health ... Technology ... Education

SACRAMENTO - The start of the new year will herald a host of quirky new laws in California. With the most controversial and sweeping proposals of 2005 all shot down by voters or Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, what was left was a series of niche bills ranging from improving nutrition in schools to banning hunting over the Internet. Political analysts said the Legislature and Schwarzenegger were distracted by the governor's special election, which consumed most of their time and energy and encouraged them to defer some controversial issues. "If you ask the average voter, 'What are your five top measures you'd...

AUSTIN - Motorists arrested for carrying pistols in their cars without a concealed handgun license will continue to be prosecuted in Houston, despite a new law that purports to give them a legal defense, Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal said Monday. Although the sponsor said the law should reduce the number of arrests for unlawful handgun possession, Rosenthal said it won't change enforcement practices in Houston after it goes into effect on Thursday. "It is still going to be against the law for (unlicensed) persons to carry handguns in autos," the district attorney said, adding that the new legal...

Consider a young man or woman who has just graduated from medical school and wishes to become a brain surgeon. Our young doctor will have to spend one year in a general surgical residency program, followed by six more years as a resident in neurosurgery. To recap: brain surgeon, seven years. And yet, the Florida Legislature this past week announced that its members cannot master the demands of their job within the measly eight years allowed by Florida's term limits. Nope. A Florida legislator really needs at least 12 years to learn the ropes in Tallahassee, the Legislature declared. And...

Terri Schiavo's death is expected to have major political ramifications as pro-lifers declare war on the judiciary and galvanize for the coming fight over Supreme Court vacancies. "We will look at an arrogant, out-of-control, unaccountable judiciary that thumbed their nose at Congress and the president," said House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Texas Republican. "We will look into that." The Rev. Flip Benham, director of Operation Rescue, lamented, "The courts of this land have become the tool, in the hands of the devil, by which the culture of death has found access." Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh bluntly blamed the...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed 311 bills and signed 959 last year. Here's a look at some of the most notable. The following new laws take effect Jan. 1 unless otherwise indicated. .50-caliber rifles: Sale of the heavy, long-range weapons, used mostly by target shooters, is banned in California. Ban supporters argued that the weapons, capable of hitting hovering helicopters, could be used by terrorists. AB 50 by Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood). Ballot printouts: Electronic voting systems approved for use in California must include paper printouts so voters can check the accuracy of their votes. SB 1438 by Sen. Ross...

<p>Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to repeal more than a dozen new state laws written by Democrats that address a wide-ranging list of social issues -- such as requiring doctors to offer voluntary HIV tests to pregnant women and ensuring that social workers ask foster children to identify friends and family members who might adopt them.</p>

With news that more and more states, sick of being ignored on the ridiculously early "Super Tuesday" in March, have moved up their presidential primaries as far out as early February, it makes one question "how early is too early?". New Hampshire has a law that they should have their primary seven days before any other state's primary. Iowa has a law that their caucus should be held no later than eight days before any other caucuses (actually "caca" would seem the more apt plural here). No problems there. Except that other states are jealous of all the time, money...

Rather than recycle the same security information that’s existed for over 15 years, the same information found in every computer security book on the shelves, I instead propose a solution, one that only the government can initiate because the solution needs to be mandatory. By “mandatory” I mean that it should be made into law. Legally compelling organizations to meet security requirements seems to be the only way to get them to take security seriously. I propose three basic laws that will stiffen cyber-security...

New State Laws to Take Effect Smokers in six states will pay more for their habit as of Monday, nudity with "artistic value" will no longer be off-limits to minors in Utah, and teddy bears will have official status as the state toy of Mississippi. Hundreds of new laws take effect with the July 1 start of fiscal years in many states. The laws reflect legislators' concerns with the burdensome threats of terrorism and budget deficits, spiked with a few less-weighty matters. Florida lawmakers, for example, found time to stipulate that cooking-school students under the legal drinking age can taste...

Bush signs bills on lung transplants, child support Thursday, May 9, 2002 Associated Press TALLAHASSEE - Medicaid will cover lung transplants for all its recipients, and tens of thousands of parents will get child support payments sooner under bills signed Tuesday by Gov. Jeb Bush. Medicaid had only covered lung transplants for children before Bush signed a bill (SB 2048) to extend the benefits. It was named after Jennifer Knight, a 20-year-old Naples woman who will need a lung transplant in two to three years. "Lives will be saved at a minimal expense, given the value of life," Bush said....