Friday, December 30, 2011

2012: NEW LAWS UPDATE

[Also see, "Understanding the Law: A Primer", by Attorney Charles Jerome Ware, iUniverse Publishers]

Effective January 1, 2012, there are a number of new state laws becoming active. For example:

(1) In Alabama, the state known for outlawing the playing of dominoes on Sunday, there will be new limits governing who can testify as an expert witness in criminal and civil trials. This new law is aimed at limiting what critics call "junk science" theories of how or why a crime or other unlawful action occurred.

(2) From California, the state which by law guarantees "sunshine to the masses", comes two, of several, interesting new laws: the prohibition of virtually any business transaction involving beer which contains caffeine as a separate ingredient; and the requirement that students learn about societal contributions of gays and lesbians.

(3) In the Mormon state of Utah, new laws essentially ban "happy hour" --- making any daily alcoholic specials illegal.

(4) Four states -- Rhode Island, Kansas, Tennessee and Texas -- have enacted new laws to combat voter fraud by requiring voters to present photo identification before voting in elections.

(5) And, additionally, the state of Tennessee will require election officials to identify "possible non-citizens" who are registered to vote and order them to prove their U.S. citizenship if they wish to remain registered voters.

There are many other new state laws to look for in 2012. So, look for them.

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