Welcome to the year 2014 and the nearly 40,000 new laws written by state legislatures set to take effect in the United States this year, eroding on more and more freedoms.
From regulations involving “lemon pets” to take-home placentas, 2014 looks like it will be an interesting year for new laws, several of which are poised to take effect Jan. 1, as rounded up by the Daily Mail
In 2014, Americans should say hello to the following rules:
Illinois: Tanning & Pets
Approximately 200 new laws will go into effect next year in Illinois including a regulation banning minors from using indoor tanning booths. The new law makes Illinois the sixth state to ban people 18 and younger from indoor tanning sessions. The growing trend is part of an attempt to curb the risk of skin cancer.
Meanwhile, Illinois pet owners will soon be able to return “lemon pets” to sellers who fail to disclose the animal’s health issues. Further, the law will make it possible for the buyer to demand that the seller reimburse them for the cost of treating the ailing pet’s health issues.
Arkansas and Virginia: Voting
Starting Jan. 1, Arkansas residents will be required to show photo identification when they go to vote. Proponents of voter ID laws say the regulations are meant to reduce the possibility of voter fraud. For their part, opponents of laws similar to the one scheduled for next year in Arkansas say photo ID rules “disenfranchise” minority voters.
Meanwhile, Virginia voters will be able to register online to vote for the first time in starting in 2014.
Oregon: Babies
Oregon mothers will soon be allowed to take their placentas home from the hospital after childbirth thanks to a new law set to go into effect next year.
And if that placenta-carrying mother happens to spy on her way home an adult smoking in his car with a child in the backseat, she can call the police. It will soon be illegal for adult Oregonians to smoke in their cars if there’s a child passenger.
California: Gender Identity
California schools will soon be required to allow students to play the sports they feel are most “consistent with his or her gender identity,” meaning students can sign up for whatever sport they want to play regardless of their sex at birth. This rule extends to bathroom use as well.
Delaware: Sharks
It was a long time coming, but the people of Delaware should say goodbye to shark fin soup.
A new law will prohibit the sale, distribution, trade and possession of dish’s main ingredient starting 2014.
Colorado: Marijuana
Thanks to months of negotiations among its lawmakers, Coloradans 21 years and older will finally be able to purchase an ounce of marijuana for recreational use. Purchases can only be made from retailers approved by the state.
Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York: Minimum Wage Hikes
Minimum wage rates have in recent months been the center of a national debate regarding American workers and “income inequality.”
And at least four states have decided to get ahead of the argument by agreeing to raise their wage rate levels in 2014.
New York and Rhode Island will require employers to pay $8 an hour. Meanwhile, New Jersey will require its employers to pay employees $8.25 an hour. Connecticut will require its employers to pay workers $8.70 an hour.
