The new year brings a slew of new laws for Californians, more than 800 in fact. In addition to SB 598, which we profiled in our January 4 post, these new laws include:
SB 159 and SB 240 - require California motorists to slow down and, if possible, move to a lane away from emergency personnel, CalTrans workers, and tow truck drivers.
AB 576 - defines cities and counties as victims of graffiti, allowing them to seek restitution from taggers.
AB 962 - requires sellers of ammunition to keep a record of sales and ask for identification from purchasers.
AB 58 - defines participation in a sports betting pool (like an office might organize for the Super Bowl) as an infraction, as long as the pool is for less than $2500 (previous law categorized this as a misdemeanor or felony).
And finally our favorite (though it doesn't deal with criminal law), AB 606, which creates the California Blueberry Commission to "carry out programs of education, promotion, marketing, and research relating to blueberries." Believe it or not, the text of this law is over 7000 words! The Blueberry Commission is estimated to cost $1.2 million, paid for by the blueberry industry.
