Tuesday, Jan. 01, 2008

Changes that become law today

When the clock struck midnight, your life changed. How much, you'll have to wait and see. For many of us, the changes won't be severe. For others, they might even go unnoticed.

Starting today, minimum-wage workers will see a pay increase, kids will gain new protections from secondhand smoke, and cleats made from kangaroos will be legal to sell in California.

Those are just a few of the new laws that took effect today. The Legislature passed 964 bills last year. Gov. Schwarzenegger signed 750 into law and vetoed 214, according to the Senate Office of Research.

But analysts say the year's legislative session, overshadowed by wrangling over budget issues, resulted in few new laws that will make a major difference to average Californians.

In fact, two of the more significant laws that take effect in 2008 -- an increase in the minimum wage and a ban on using hand-held wireless phones while driving -- were passed not this year, but in 2006. The cell phone bill takes effect July 1. Here's a quick rundown of some of the new laws that will be changing your life:

Lighting up behind the wheel is more expensive now if there are kids in the car. Senate Bill 7, by Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach,makes it an infraction subject to fines up to $100 to smoke in a car when anyone under 18 is inside. Police cannot pull over motorists only for smoking when children are present, but can issue citations if the driver is stopped for another reason. The idea, Oropeza said, is to protect children's health in situations over which they have little control.

The minimum-wage increase, signed into law in 2006, was implemented in two phases. It jumped from $6.75 to $7.50 per hour Jan. 1, 2007, and will increase to $8 per hour today. "This wage increase will benefit more than 1.4 million hardworking Californians," Department of Industrial Relations Director John Duncan said. Economists believe there could be some consequences, including small price increases at businesses that use minimum-wage workers, such as restaurants.

Getting caught buying alcohol with a fake identification is a lot costlier now. Penalties have increased for those who try to buy booze with a fake ID and for those who make and sell phony cards. Assembly Bill 1658 by Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster, increases the penalty for trying to use a fake ID from $100 to $250 for a first offense. For those who make or sell fake IDs, the fine increases from $500 to $1,000. The law also clarifies that the fines can be accompanied by a driver's license suspension of as long as a year.

Senate Bill 880, by Ronald Calderon, D-Montebello, lifts a ban on importing products made from kangaroos harvested lawfully under Australian national and state laws, such as leather soccer cleats, until 2011. The proposal drew intense opposition from animal rights organizations that decried the manner in which the Australian marsupials are killed. But California retailers selling kangaroo soccer shoes said they faced a disadvantage because online firms based in 47 states legally can sell such products.

Cyclists riding on bikeways and sidewalks at night now are required to use a headlight, as well as rear and side reflectors. State law had been ambiguous about whether cyclists riding on off-road paths were required to use lights at night. The measure, Assembly Bill 478, allows for ticketing cyclists riding without lights on such bikeways or on sidewalks in cities that allow cyclists to ride on sidewalks. The bill's author, Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis, said cyclists who use such paths mistakenly may think they are safer because they aren't riding next to cars.

Gift cards now can be redeemed for cash if the balance is less than $10. Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, wrote the bill after becoming frustrated with plastic gift cards piling up in a drawer. She said most often there'd be just a few dollars left on the balance. Gov. Schwarzenegger signed Senate Bill 250 in October allowing consumers to get cash back on gift cards or gift certificates at most stores. The law doesn't apply to credit card gift cards or ones tied to multiple stores, such as mall gift cards. The law puts California ahead of three other states with similar laws.

Senate Bill 443, by Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, allows a woman to consent to insemination from a donor who is HIV-positive if the sperm has undergone a process that minimizes the risk of infection. The intent of the bill is to allow women to have healthy babies with partners who are HIV-positive. The bill also requires the physician inseminating or using the HIV-positive sperm to perform any procedure after the sperm has been "found to be free of HIV."

Senate Bill 2, the Fair Share Zoning Bill, written by Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, is intended to remove roadblocks for homeless shelters by requiring cities and counties to designate areas where shelters can be located without obtaining a conditional use permit. The bill's goal is to spread out some of the housing and services normally concentrated in Skid Rows and require other communities to share responsibility for the homeless problem.