New laws in your area effective yesterday...

[Vizier]

Sort of a spin-off of the fire-safe cigarette topic, what laws went into effect in your area at the start of 2008? Please, don't argue about the fairness of the laws, this is NOT for political discussion, this is merely for information.

In Oregon, a bunch of stuff is enacted this year....

If you're under 18, and are seen driving with a Cell phone, you get a ticket up to $90.

Grandparents now can take protected family medical absence to take care of sick grandchildren.

If you get a DUI, you have to get one of those breathalyzers installed into your ignition for 2 years on first offense.

It's illegal to sell gift cards that expire.

Landlords can't tow cars away without mentioning it.

Not mentioned in the other topic, but Fire-safe cigarettes took effect in Oregon, too, yesterday.

Minimum wage is going up for the 4th time in four years, from $7.75 to $7.95

[mcclanahan]

in IL, you can no longer smoke in public places, and must be atleast 15' from the door if you are going to smoke outside...no matter how cold it is or what the wind chill is

[Mister Pigwell]

In CA. it's now a secondary offense to smoke with a child in your vehicle.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

zjp said:

Sort of a spin-off of the fire-safe cigarette topic, what laws went into effect in your area at the start of 2008? Please, don't argue about the fairness of the laws, this is NOT for political discussion, this is merely for information.

In Oregon, a bunch of stuff is enacted this year....

If you're under 18, and are seen driving with a Cell phone, you get a ticket up to $90.

Grandparents now can take protected family medical absence to take care of sick grandchildren.

If you get a DUI, you have to get one of those breathalyzers installed into your ignition for 2 years on first offense.

It's illegal to sell gift cards that expire.

Landlords can't tow cars away without mentioning it.

Not mentioned in the other topic, but Fire-safe cigarettes took effect in Oregon, too, yesterday.

Minimum wage is going up for the 4th time in four years, from $7.75 to $7.95

Damn that's one high minimum wage! In Massachusetts when I first started working it was only $6.75! Well not that I ever worked minimum wage (but I came damn close!). Maybe its not that high come to think of it, but still $1.20 and hour more is $1.20 an hour more.

[Stu]

Here in California, you are not allowed to smoke a cigarette in a car as long as there are children inside.

[Insomniac]

In Massachusetts:

* The minimum wage is now $8.00.

* Stores must start selling fire-safe cigarettes

* Monthly penalties begin to accrue every month for failure to have health insurance

[MolotovMocktail]

Starting in July in CA, car phones must be hands-free.

[KAMALARAMBO: BOOMSHAKALAKA!!!]

insomniac34 said:

In Massachusetts:

* The minimum wage is now $8.00.

* Stores must start selling fire-safe cigarettes

* Monthly penalties begin to accrue every month for failure to have health insurance

Damn! Again with the minimum wage! And in my native Massachusetts of all places!

[Captain Wonderful]

...wtf are fire-safe cigarettes?

[Mister Pigwell]

survivalism said:

...wtf are fire-safe cigarettes?

Here ya go.

[Timmy8271]

Florida drivers must have personal injury protection on their insurance plan as of January 1, 2008. If you’re caught without it, your driving privileges could be suspended.

Effective January 1, 2008, Florida’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP) law will require motorists to carry mandatory personal injury and property damage liability insurance. Under the law, every owner or registrant of a motor vehicle will be required to carry not only the Property Damage Liability insurance but also $10,000 insurance coverage for Personal Injury Protection (PIP). Therefore, as a consumer, the Department encourages you to be informed and make sure that you purchase the mandatory PIP, and make sure your insurance agent also adds the mandatory $10,000 in Property Damage Liability.

[The Freakin' Deacon]

I'm amazed at how high minimum wage is for you guys.

When I started working, I was getting paid $5.15.

[normcoleman]

mcclanahan said:

in IL, you can no longer smoke in public places, and must be atleast 15' from the door if you are going to smoke outside...no matter how cold it is or what the wind chill is

I hate the Ohio law....they even have a snitch line. I like jamming it up.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

In Alberta you can only smoke in your apartment, under a blanket with all the lights out.

Actually, you can't smoke anywhere that's "public", which doesn't mean public, it means everywhere, private or public.

No more "power walls" of ciagrettes. They gotta be hidden, lest a chid might see a cigarette display.

Not 100% sure if it went into effect, though it mustn't have, but any store with a pharmacy in it can't sell cigarettes

[Diddly]

Not a law but the local NBC affiliate's contract with the only cable company for all of Austin's suburbs ran out and their negotiations have halted so as of right now about 75-80% of Central Texas is without NBC.

[Jon The Joker]

cdr said:

In Alberta you can only smoke in your apartment, under a blanket with all the lights out.

Actually, you can't smoke anywhere that's "public", which doesn't mean public, it means everywhere, private or public.

No more "power walls" of ciagrettes. They gotta be hidden, lest a chid might see a cigarette display.

Not 100% sure if it went into effect, though it mustn't have, but any store with a pharmacy in it can't sell cigarettes

Not to go on a rant, but since when did everyone become so damn scared of a cigarette. We've fought wars, seen diseases, and now we see someone light up and we get scared.

[bradyfan]

insomniac34 said:

In Massachusetts:

*
* Monthly penalties begin to accrue every month for failure to have health insurance

Glad I don't live in MA. Freakin health inurance isn't cheap.

[Captain Wonderful]

normcoleman said:

mcclanahan said:

in IL, you can no longer smoke in public places, and must be atleast 15' from the door if you are going to smoke outside...no matter how cold it is or what the wind chill is

I hate the Ohio law....they even have a snitch line. I like jamming it up.

Yeah, it's pretty lame. Nobody here gives a shit. Someone keeps ratting out the bars, and they keep getting fined, which I think is absolutely pathetic.

A lot of the stuff in this thread makes me want to move to Canada. Or England.

[Palatial Regalia]

kieth said:

I'm amazed at how high minimum wage is for you guys.

When I started working, I was getting paid $5.15.

$4.25 here.