All the New Federal and State Laws You Need to Know About in 2023
Despite appearances, the United States is still a nation of laws, and every January first we wake up to a plethora of new laws passed by our hardworking legislators last year. 2023 promises a lot of new and exciting rules to follow or you’ll be thrown into a cage, so here’s an overview of the new laws, codes, rules and regulations we all need to know about.
Federal laws promise cheaper insulin and electric cars
At the federal level, some aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act will go into effect in 2023. While the main focus of the initiative is to encourage the development and deployment of renewable resources through corporate tax credits, it offers significant discounts for ordinary citizens like you and me. on solar panels, energy efficient appliances and electric vehicles , which we may start to see this year, including tax credits of up to $7,500 for new compliant electric vehicles and up to $3,750 for used vehicles.
Another bright spot for some consumers: The IRA caps the price of insulin for Medicaid recipients at $35 a month. If you need insulin and are not on Medicaid, hey, you might get help someday.
State Law Trends in 2023: Wages, Drugs, and Abortion
The new laws are getting a little more interesting at the state level. While the federal minimum wage remains at the same $7.25 an hour level that has been in place for more than a decade, 20 states have raised their minimum wages. Lower wage workers will soon start getting higher wages in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Rod Island, South Dakota. , Vermont and Washington. The minimum wage in Connecticut, Nevada, and Florida increases at the end of the year. The minimum wage in Washington state is the highest in the country at $15.74 an hour, and New York and Massachusetts have raised their wages even to $15 by 2023.
marijuana and mushrooms
It’s taking a long time to decriminalize weed nationally, but steps have been taken in Arkansas, North Dakota, and South Dakota, where adults will be legal to use marijuana in 2023, and Maryland and Missouri will allow you to smoke weed/eat gum if you’re over 21. A total of 21 states now allow recreational marijuana use, and 37 states allow some form of medical marijuana.
The citizens of Colorado voted to decriminalize the use of psilocybin and other psychedelics in 2022. Colorado joins Oregon as the first two states to allow the use of these psychoactive substances. While the decriminalization of the use and cultivation of psilocybin, psilocin, DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline begins January 24, Colorado’s plan to create licensed centers where people can use these drugs will not be in place for a while – there are many details to work out.
Changes in abortion laws
The outlines of the “culture war” are clearly visible when it comes to state abortion laws. Both New York and California have adopted abortion laws – the recent California legislation declares that citizens have “the fundamental right to have an abortion, as well as their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives” (which is not entirely new) and prohibits law enforcement state. agencies to assist with out-of-state abortion investigations, and allow trained nurse practitioners, midwives and paramedics to perform unsupervised abortions. New York State now requires all private insurance companies that provide maternity services to also provide abortion services.
On the other side of the aisle, more than a dozen states either severely restrict or ban abortion. Most of them had “trigger laws” that went into effect as soon as the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, so nothing changed with the new year.
These are general trends. Here are some interesting changes in quality of life legislation across the country.
Police reform in the country
This year, several new state laws aimed at protecting the police come into force. North Carolina will require prospective LEOs to undergo more stringent background checks. Existing officers will be required to undergo bias training as well as to intervene and report instances of excessive use of force by an officer. South Carolina police officers will also face stricter recruitment rules, as well as new restrictions on the use of force and a new system for reporting citizen misconduct.
However, no state has surpassed Illinois when it comes to law enforcement reform. Along with reforming law enforcement use of force guidelines, the state passed the SAFE-T Act to eliminate cash bail across the board. But don’t start a Chicago crime spree just yet: The Illinois Supreme Court is holding off passing this provision until they decide whether it’s constitutional.
California: Jay enters; evaporate the juice
Despite protests from law enforcement, California has decriminalized walking. As long as a “careful enough person” considers crossing the street safe, you can cross anywhere, no matter what the traffic lights say, and not risk a fine. However, effective January 1, you can no longer sell e-cigarettes and tobacco products containing non-tobacco flavors in California.
New York: Composting People and Wage Transparency
If you’re hoping to become a plant-based food after death, it’s now legal in New York. New York joins five other states in allowing “natural organic reduction” (or “human composting”), a burial process that involves placing corpses in wood shavings or straw and letting nature take its course. Soon you will be a cubic yard of extremely fertile soil ready to feed a tree.
Along with allowing citizens to become plant-based, New York City’s 2023 law requires private sector employers to list salary ranges for all advertised jobs and positions. It goes into effect September 17; a similar law was passed in Washington.
Hawaii: no hot air balloon launches
As of 2023, Hawaiians are no longer allowed to launch helium or hydrogen balloons. The new law bans the practice of releasing lighter-than-air balloons to protect wildlife and marine life. However, I’m not sure how this applies to passenger airships.
Alabama: Guns, guns, guns!
In a blow to Alabama’s notoriously strict gun control laws, the state passed the Constitutional Carry Law, which allows citizens to carry a concealed handgun without permission or background checks. This should work very well.
Missouri: Criminalization of homelessness
Starting this year, it’s a Class C misdemeanor for the homeless to sleep on public land in Missouri. This will teach all these people to stop being homeless.
Louisiana: ID required to view porn online
Starting in January, any website that contains “at least 33.3% pornographic material” must certify that its visitors are over 18 years old. I’m not sure how “33.3% pornographic material” can be defined, and I’m glad I don’t have to.
Mississippi: Teacher Boost and New State Song
Teachers in Mississippi will get a promotion in 2023. The average allowance is $5,100 for teachers and $2,000 for teacher assistants. The southern state also has a new official state song, ” One Mississippi ” by singer-songwriter Steve Azar. It’s actually pretty good, if a bit basic. Either way, it’s definitely better than ” Go Mississippi ,” the state’s previous song, a scary/weird, banjo-heavy tune based on segregationist Gov. Ross Barnett’s campaign jingle.
New Hampshire: “Cyber firmware” outlawed
In 2023, a law against “cyberflashing” will come into force in New Hampshire. Under the new law, anyone who sends “an image of fornication, exposes their genitals, or performs any other act of gross obscenity” is guilty of a crime. a misdemeanor if the recipient does not indicate “by word or conduct” that he “freely consented to receive the image”.