A new slate of insanity took effect in the Golden State this January 1, including a law that will punish doctorsfor disseminating “COVID misinformation” to patients – that would be, any information that does not concur with state policy and recommendations regarding COVID-19. There is also a minimum wage increase in effect. The minimum wage for employers with over 26 employees now stands at $15/hr. For companies that employ fewer than 26 employees, the minimum wage is $14/hr.
Not all of the new laws are totally crazy. One law gives the state and residents more authority detain and treat those who are violently mentally ill and posing a danger to the community. Mental illness is one of the biggest problems exacerbating the homeless crisis in the state. However, that’s about as positive as it gets for this legislative calendar.
California passes hundreds of laws a year. There are too many to count, but here are a few of the garbagemore interesting ones that will go into effect for 2023.
Welcome to California, where the only thing more hated than plastic, single-use products, is the taxpayer.
AB 2223 Reproductive Health
Enshrines the right to abortion for “pregnant people” (otherwise known as WOMEN) into the California Health and Safety code. It also ends the requirement for investigators to launch enquiries into fetal deaths post 20-week gestation.
This bill would delete the requirement that a coroner hold inquests for deaths related to or following known or suspected self-induced or criminal abortion, and would delete the requirement that an unattended fetal death be handled as a death without medical attendance. The bill would prohibit using the coroner’s statements on the certificate of fetal death to establish, bring, or support a criminal prosecution or civil cause of damages against a person who is immune from liability based on their actions or omissions with respect to their pregnancy or actual, potential, or alleged pregnancy outcome, or who aids a pregnant person in exercising their rights under the Reproductive Privacy Act, as specified.
AB1949 Bereavement Leave
Makes requires employers to offer 5 days of bereavement leave to any workers who have been employed at least 30 days.
This bill would additionally make it an unlawful employment practice for an employer to refuse to grant a request by an eligible employee to take up to 5 days of bereavement leave upon the death of a family member, as defined. The bill would require that leave be completed within 3 months of the date of death. The bill would require that leave be taken pursuant to any existing bereavement leave policy of the employer. Under the bill, in the absence of an existing policy, the bereavement leave may be unpaid. However, the bill would authorize an employee to use certain other leave balances otherwise available to the employee, including accrued and available paid sick leave.
SB 731 Criminal Records
Seals the records of felons who have completed their sentences and gone a certain number of years without further criminal violations.
AB2746 Driving Privilege: Suspension
DMV will stop suspending the licenses for failure to appear in court over ticketing/trafficking violations.
This bill would, beginning January 1, 2027, repeal that requirement of the DMV to suspend a person’s driving privilege, would terminate any suspension issued by the DMV pursuant to those provisions prior to January 1, 2027, and would remove the prohibition from issuing or renewing a driver’s license. The bill would repeal the above-described authorization and requirement that the court notify the DMV of a violation of a written promise to appear or a lawfully granted continuance of their promise to appear in court or before a person authorized to receive a deposit of bail. The bill would make other conforming changes.
full article here
