The year 2015 is said to be one of the most interesting years. With all our advancements and setbacks made in previous years, American's are hopeful that this year will be different. In order to start off the New Year here are a couple of new laws that have passed for 2015.
First I would like to talk about the new laws that are being enforced in New York. The holidays are full of times where people get new electronics. Well what do you do with your old ones? Well here is what you can't do. It is now illegal to throw electronics in the trash. If caught, punishable offenses include a $100 fine. The government is trying to cut back on e-waste in the city and in the dumps.
Twenty fifteen appears to be the year of the tiger. Because of the increase of young men posting selfies with tigers and other wild cats on social media, the government sees it fit to make it illegal to take pictures with these animals for the protection of the animals and humans.
New DWI laws have gone into effect starting January 1st. In Louisiana, if caught under the influence one could face more possible jail time. First time offenders could face a possible fine of $300 and 10 days in jail, followed by a suspended license and community service. These stricter laws have been put in place in order to reduce the amount of drunk drivers on the road.
Although the government is making it harder for others to be on the road, the government in California is now giving driver's license to undocumented immigrants. In order for them to get licenses, they must prove residency in California, identification and pass a regular driver's test that other people take to get their license.
On another note, lawmakers have just defined what yes and no means in sexual assaults on college campuses. In order for sexual activity between two individual to be legal, it must be consensual. Lawmakers have defined consensual as "an affirmative, unambiguous and conscious decision by both participants. In our previous blogs we have discussed how universities were working the system to meet the universities needs versus the students. In order for a university or college to receive state financial aid funding, they university must adopt these standards. This means that they need to enforce no means no, silence does not mean yes, and being drunk is not a condition that means it is okay.
Moving on, Organ, Alaska and the District of Columbia are in the works of legalizing marijuana use. However, the Alaska law won't take effect until February, Organ until July and D.C. is still battling getting this law passed. In Nevada, because of the high truancy and dropout rate, students can have their licenses suspended for skipping class. Lawmakers feel that having a license is a privilege not a right and that in order to improve on academics this law is essential. Austin and San Antonio, Texas have made it illegal to use a portable electronic device while driving unless you are using a hands-free device or headphones. In Texas, motorcycles that allow for a passenger must have footsteps and handlebars. In Dallas, Texas, the plastic bag ban went into effect. Consumers are required to bring their own bag or pay five cents for a plastic bag. And finally, lawmakers passed a law that increases minimum wage in 20 states with South Dakota being the highest increase at $1.25 per hour.
This year we are seeing quite a few changes. It will be interesting to see how the public will react to these laws and it will be even more interesting to see how these laws evolve. What do you think?
http://www.myfoxny.com/story/27744058/a-breakdown-of-some-new-laws-in-2015
http://abc7.com/politics/new-california-laws-in-2015/457692/
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/31/new-laws-for-2015-ban-tiger-selfies-hike-minimum-wages/
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/politics-government/article5244969.html
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/metro/20150101-first-day-of-dallas-bag-fee-is-carried-off-quietly.ece
http://www.ktvn.com/story/27744426/new-laws-for-2015
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*Tim Powers is an attorney licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Texas. Nothing in this article is intended to be legal advice. For legal advice about any specific legal question you should directly consult an attorney. Criminal Defense Lawyers with Unparalleled Passion for Success Providing Quality Representation for your Denton, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Carrollton, Corinth, Highland Village Dallas, Plano, McKinney, Denton County, Tarrant County, Collin County, or Dallas County criminal case