Da Daily Dank

In all, 45 states, the District of Columbia, Virgin Islands, and Puerto
Rico passed 31,005 new laws in 2010. Some of them will come into effect
with the new year. Here is a sampling of some of the trends in
lawmaking in 2010.


1. Marijuana


Starting Saturday, people caught in California with as much as an ounce
of marijuana will be charged with an “infraction” – a penalty that is
equivalent to a parking ticket. Previously, possession of an ounce of
marijuana had been a misdemeanor, which unlike an infraction, can
include jail time.


Meanwhile, in Illinois, synthetic marijuana, also known as K2, will be illegal.


2. Crime


Crime is always a focus of state lawmakers, but this year saw an
emphasis on reining in the potentially harmful uses of new technologies
and social media.


“The rise in social media-related regulations shows that private sector
innovations are often followed by laws intended to limit the harmful
effects of those innovations,” says Jessica Levinson, an analyst at the
Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles.


California’s SB 1411 will make online impersonation a standard
misdemeanor punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail.
Victims will be allowed to sue the imitator for damages and losses.
Hawaii, New York, Massachusetts and Texas also have laws targeting
electronic impersonation.

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In Illinois, minors who distribute indecent photos of other minors
electronically – known as “secksting” -- may be taken into custody by
law enforcement officers and are subject to adjudication or
supervision, instead of being charged with child [..]ography, which is
a harsher offense.

Also in Illinois, it’s now a crime to secksually exploit a child using
a computer or Internet-based software. “The new law is aimed at
catching secks offenders who use Internet chat rooms or online video
cameras to engage in secks acts with a child,” says the NCSL’s website
analysis.

3. Environment


“The environment is another big area of regulation, as our elected
officials attempt to create laws that incentivize green behavior,” says
Ms. Levinson.


In Arizona, individuals and corporations can get income tax credits for
using wind, biomass, and solar electricity. The size of the credit will
depend on the amount of electricity produced.

California homebuyers doing a home inspection can now request that an
audit of the energy efficiency of the home be included. The goal is
help educate homeowners about which energy-efficiency home investments
would be cost-effective.

New York will require companies that make or sell electronic waste equipment to begin free recycling programs for consumers.

4. Pensions


A top focus for state legislatures in 2010 was pension laws. “The
states are just beginning to come to terms with the fiscal burdens
presented by decades of over-promising on employee pensions,” says
Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia.


A new Missouri law creates an employee contribution of 4 percent of
salary – before taxes – for members of the Department of Transportation
and Highway Patrol Employees’ Retirement System, the State Employees’
Retirement System and the retirement plan for judges. Before this new
law, members made no contributions.

New members of Pennsylvania’s Public School Employees’ Retirement
System and the State Employees’ Retirement System will be required to
belong to a “Shared Risk Defined Benefit Plan.” Employee contributions
will go up and down depending on available funding.

Most public employees in Illinois will have their retirement age
increased to 67. Cost of living adjustments will be reduced after
retirement, and longer periods of service will be required.

From Marijuana to "secksting": New Laws Set to Take Effect January 1