Controversial New Laws Go Into Effect For California On January 1st
As the Calendar turns, several new laws go into effect in California, including some that have been politically divisive in the Golden state. Here's a look at some pieces of legislation that become the law of the land this week:
ANIMALS
A ballot initiative approved by voters in 2008 takes effect restricting the confinement of egg-laying hens, breeding sows and veal calves. The Humane Society of the United States says the law goes further than any in the country when coupled with a law signed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger that extends the space requirements for egg-laying hens to out-of-state suppliers.
GASOLINE
Gas wholesalers are expected to spend more on permits and pass along their increased costs to drivers at the pump as part of a new program that caps the amount of pollutant that can be emitted by companies, with the allocated limit sold to firms in the form of emission permits.
CRIME
A "yes means yes" standard for sex between college students takes effect, requiring "an affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity," meaning silence or a lack of resistance can no longer be deemed consent.
ENVIRONMENT
In the face of a three-year drought, new California laws require water districts and other local entities to develop plans to manage their groundwater and allow the state to intervene if necessary.
MOTOR VEHICLES
Drivers' licenses will be available for people in the country illegally.
WEAPONS
Law enforcement agencies now are required to develop policies that encourage officers to search the state's database of gun purchases as part of routine welfare checks. The bill was prompted by sheriff's deputies' failure to detect the danger posed by a man who weeks later embarked on a deadly rampage in May near the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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