- A new law in Illinois prohibits police from stopping drivers solely for objects hanging in their rearview mirrors.
- Several U.S. states, including Minnesota and Colorado, have introduced new gun regulations such as extreme risk protection orders.
- More than 20 states have raised their minimum wages, with states like Maryland, New Jersey and Connecticut raising their minimum wages above the federal minimum wage of $7.25.
Fuzzy dice will finally be hanging free in Illinois.
From Monday, police will no longer be allowed to stop motorists just because they have something hanging from their windshield or rearview mirror. That means it's suitable for hanging air fresheners, parking placards, and, of course, even dice.
Illinois' windshield rule changes are among hundreds of new laws that will take effect in the new year in states across the country. While some laws may seem a bit mundane, others have real practical effects or touch on controversial issues, such as restrictions on weapons or medical care. transgender people.
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While the original Illinois windshield law was intended to improve road safety, it came to be seen by some as an excuse to force drivers to pull over to the side of the road. The new law still prohibits objects that obstruct a driver's view, but prohibits law enforcement officers from conducting stops and searches based solely on suspected violations.
Fuzzy Dice sits behind the rearview mirror of a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air on August 4, 2014 in Flint Township, Michigan. Police in the state are prohibited from stopping motorists just because they have something hanging in their rearview mirror. windshield. (Jake May/Flint Journal via Associated Press/Flint Journal via Associated Press)
“This new law sends a strong message that our state will not tolerate racial profiling or other forms of discrimination,” said Democratic state Sen. Christopher Belt, one of the bill's sponsors.
Another new law in Illinois seeks to curb more modern forms of distracted driving by banning people from participating in video conferences or scanning social media while driving.
guns and porn
Several states have new laws regulating guns and online activity.
A Minnesota law would allow authorities to ask a court for an “extreme risk protection order,” which would temporarily take away guns from people deemed to be an imminent threat to others or themselves. Minnesota would be at least the 20th state to enact such a red flag law.
Colorado will be one of more than a dozen states to ban so-called ghost guns. The new law bans home-assembled firearms and 3D-printed firearms without serial numbers, allowing owners to avoid background checks.
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to block an Illinois law banning high-powered semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines from taking effect Monday. However, a federal judge recently blocked a California law that prohibits carrying concealed guns in many public places.
Some state laws spell out permissible online activity. A new Connecticut law requires online dating businesses to adopt policies for handling reports of harassment by or between users.
North Carolina law requires pornographic website operators to use commercially available databases to verify that visitors are 18 or older. This law allows parents to sue companies if their children are allowed to access pornography. Another new law in Illinois would allow lawsuits by victims of deepfake pornography, where videos and images are manipulated without consent.
LGBTQ+ issues
Over the past few years, there has been a major push by conservatives to limit access to gender-affirming treatment for transgender minors. Bans have surfaced in 22 states, including several where judges have suspended enforcement in light of challenges to the policy.
A rare new ban on minors' access to puberty-suppressing drugs, hormone therapy and surgery will go into effect on January 1 in Idaho, Louisiana and West Virginia. It's planned. There is an exception to West Virginia's law that allows teens to receive treatment with parental consent and a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria from two doctors.
While many Republican-led legislatures have imposed restrictions, many Democratic-controlled states have responded with transgender protections. A law that takes effect Monday in Hawaii requires people who want to change how their gender is listed to be issued a new marriage certificate. The state is also seeking to replace gender-specific language in state law. “Mother” has been replaced by “birth parent” and “father” has been replaced by “non-birth parent.”
In Colorado, new buildings owned in whole or in part by government agencies are required to have at least one restroom on every floor with a public restroom that does not specify the gender of the user.
Conservative LGBTQ+ policies include efforts to ban certain books from schools and public libraries. An Indiana law has gone into effect making it easier for parents and others to object to books in school libraries. In contrast, a new law in Illinois would block state funding to public libraries that ban or restrict books.
taxes and wages
The new year brings with it a variety of new laws regarding taxes and wages, a perennial issue for state governments.
More than 20 states are planning to raise their minimum wages for workers, widening the gap between state requirements and the federal minimum wage, which has been fixed at $7.25 an hour since July 2009. In some states, the new minimum wage will be more than double that.
Maryland's minimum wage will be set at $15 an hour. In New Jersey, most employees earn $15.13 an hour. $15.69 per hour in Connecticut. In New York City, it's $16 an hour, but in most other parts of the state it's $15. California's statewide minimum wage will also increase to $16 an hour. And in Washington, the lowest rate is $16.28.
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Residents of some states will benefit from paying less in taxes, continuing a three-year trend in which nearly all states have reduced, rebated, or suspended some type of broad-based taxes.
In Kansas, the next step toward final repeal will reduce the grocery sales tax from 4% to 2%, resulting in an annual savings of $208 for families who spend an average of $200 a week on groceries.
Approximately 1 million taxpayers are expected to benefit from Connecticut's first income tax rate cut since the mid-1990s. Low-income workers and retirees can also benefit from expanded tax relief.
Missouri also plans to lower its income tax rate while expanding tax exemptions for Social Security benefits and military training pay. Companies will be able to claim tax credits for hiring interns and apprentices.
Alabama exempts overtime pay from state income taxes until June 2025, unless lawmakers renew it.
