Thousands of New Laws in Effect, Some of Them Odd

If you live in Kentucky, don't even think about releasing a wild hog
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 1, 2013 12:29 PM CST
Thousands of New Laws in Effect, Some of Them Odd
In this Aug. 24, 2011 photo, a feral hog stands in a holding pen at Easton View Outfitters in Valley Falls, NY.   (AP Photo/Mike Groll)

While everyone fretted about the fiscal cliff, thousands of new state laws quietly took effect at midnight. The Christian Science Monitor, the Washington Post, and Mediaite run down a few notable ones, from the weird (feral hogs?) to the more conventional:

  • Caylee's Law: Legislation named after Caylee Anthony took effect in California and Illinois. Parents now face big penalties if they don't report the disappearance or death of a child within one day.
  • Abortion: Partial-birth abortions are now banned in New Hampshire. In Montana, minors wanting an abortion must notify their parents.
  • Illegal immigration: Employers in some states are now required to use the E-Verify system to confirm citizenship of their employees.

  • Facebook: Employers can no longer ask job applicants for Facebook or Twitter passwords.
  • Food safety: In Maryland, it's now illegal to use chicken feed that includes arsenic. Though it's the first state to pass such a ban, the practice is already illegal in Canada and the EU.
  • Driverless cars: Are now legal on California roads, though a human must always be in the passenger seat.
  • Weirder laws: No releasing feral hogs in Kentucky, and no using a dog to chase a bear or a bobcat in California. Strip clubs in Illinois must now charge $3 at the door and donate it to rape crisis centers. Also in Illinois, motorcycle wheelies are now banned.
Also today, same-sex marriage became legal in Maryland. (More state law stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X