New laws for 2005: Big Brother watching

By Michael Picarella pic@theacorn.com

With the New Year come the new laws. In 2004, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed 959 bills and vetoed 311.

The new laws include the adoption of new domestic-partner rights, a ban on .50-caliber weapons, new protections against sex offenders, new efforts against electronic piracy, and greater access to voting and marriage for California troops who are stationed overseas. In 2005, you can also purchase hypodermic needles without a prescription.

College students in the state of California can expect to pay more this year. State legislatures increased student fees anywhere from 14 to 44 percent. According to sources, fee increases, which apply to the state’s 10-campus UC system, the 23-campus Cal State system and the state’s 109 community colleges, are the result of a multibillion-dollar state deficit. In the last two years alone, community college fees have been increased from $11 a unit to $26, sources said.

Several of the laws are summarized as follows.

Auto-related

The new law that could have the greatest impact on drivers is one that requires headlights to be on whenever a car’s windshield wipers are on.

State Bill 1694 extends the time a "driving under the influence" conviction remains on a person’s record from seven years to 10 years. This applies only to first-time offenders.

Assembly Bill 1878 states that operators of motorized scooters must be at least 16 years of age. AB-1878 prohibits the sale of motorized scooters that produce more than 80 decibels of sound at a distance of 50 feet. The new law won’t allow exhaust system modifications.

AB-2709 requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to develop a law enforcement method that would allow officers to better verify proof of insurance for any motor vehicle. Currently, most citizens only give police officers a policy number when traffic enforcers stop them, and there’s no real way for an officer to verify if a vehicle is actually insured.

AB-2237 enhances the "driving over 100 miles per hour" law to include a $750 fine for a conviction of a second offense committed within three years of the first offense, and a fine of $1,000 for a conviction for subsequent offenses committed within five years of the first two or more offenses.

AB-2628 permits the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue a decal to specified hybrid electric-gasoline powered vehicles and other clean air vehicles. The decal would authorize the motorist use of exclusive or preferential highway lanes or access ramps, otherwise known as the diamond-shaped lanes, or carpool lanes, even if there’s only one driver.

Domestic Partner Rights

AB-205 will provide most of the "married couple" rights under California state law to couples registered as domestic partners. Some rights include public benefit calculations, community property rights and prisoner-visitation rights.

Criminal Behavior

Proposition 69 requires the formulation of a DNA database of all convicted felons, including misdemeanor offenders, for such crimes as arson and sex-related offenses. Authorities will take a DNA sample of every person arrested for a felony.

AB-037 states that if a person sells, furnishes or gives away any alcoholic beverage to a person under 21 years of age, that person is partially responsible for any bodily injury that might result because of the minor’s intoxication.

Firearms

Senate Bill-1858 increases restrictions on imitation firearms and expands the definition of "imitation firearms" to include BB guns, pellet guns and paintball guns. Altering an imitation firearm to make it look real would be considered a misdemeanor.

AB-50 defines the .50-caliber Browning machine gun as an assault weapon, prohibiting sales. For more information about the new California legislation, visit www.leginfo.ca.gov.