New 2013 Laws: Gay Marriage, Facebook Passwords Laws Go Into Effect On New Year’s Day
Tomorrow is New Year’s Day and that can only mean one thing: A whole bunch of new laws. The new laws for 2013 effect everything from gay marriage, to marijuana consumption, to Facebook password laws.
Some of the new 2013 laws tackle major social issues like gay marriage and marijuana while other are a little more unusual.
Illinois is putting a ban on motorcycle wheelies. The state will start imposing a $1000 fine to anyone who pops a wheelie while speeding. But Illinois motorcycle riders shouldn’t be too upset since the state has also decided to let them legally drive through stale red lights.
Illinois has also decided to crack down on the illegal shark fin sales. The distribution of shark fins is a major issue in places like China and California but the last time I checked Illinois doesn’t deal with too many sharks.
Of course, Illinois isn’t the only place for unusual laws.
According to ABC, a new law in Wellington, Kansas will limit the number of cats per household. Yes, cat Kansas cat lovers, it is now illegal to have more than four cats living in your home.
Concord, Massachusetts is outlawing plastic bottles in 2013 and Florida has made it illegal to warn other drivers about a speed trap.
The coolest law of 2013 has to go to California. The state recently decided that it would allow driverless cars to operate on public roads. A human has to be present in the car but it is now legal for the vehicle to be computer driven.
State legislatures may have spent a lot of time this year regulating cats and wheelies but there were also a lot of major new laws passed.
Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, California and Illinois all all tackled a privacy issue that is still plaguing the job market. It is now illegal in those states for an employer to ask for your Facebook password.
Nora Campos, speaker pro tempore of the California State Assembly and lead author of the new Facebook password law, told NBC:
“My legislation protects workers’ privacy. The legislation is necessary because there is a hole in existing law that prevents employers from intruding into an employee’s legal off-duty conduct.”
New laws passed in Maryland and Virginia will certainly give gay couples a happy new year. Gay marriage will officially be legalized in those states on New Year’s Day.
Carrie Evans, executive director of gay rights group Equality Maryland, told the Washington Examiner:
“There’s already some weddings happening right after New Year’s Eve, at 12:01.”
What do you think about the new 2013 laws? Are you happy that gay marriage is getting legalized in more states? Are you upset that people in Kansas can only own four cats?
