The following bills take effect in the state of California starting Jan. 1, 2016.  

Please share your thoughts on the new laws with the editor at Sun News and Review or comment under the post relating to this article at https://www.facebook.com/sunnewsandreview/. 

1) Employees working at minimum wage jobs got a raise. The minimum wage is now $10 an hour (AB 10):  Gov. Jerry Brown first signed this bill in 2013.

2) If you own a gun or guns pay attention. A new law (AB 1014) allows your constitutionally protected right to own a gun to be taken away for “safekeeping” before you are found innocent. AB 1014 is a restraining order where a family member or law enforcement is able to file a report and a judge can order the restraining order. If the RO is ordered a person automatically loses their guns for 21 days but can remain in place up to a year. 

3) Mandatory vaccinations for most school-aged children begin in 2016 (SB 277).  Parents can no longer receive exemptions based on religious or personal beliefs. The only way a child can be allowed to go to school without vaccinations is with a certified doctors letter. 

4) Hoverboards or electric motorized boards can only be operated by people age 16 and older (AB 604) All operators must wear a helmet. The boards can reach speeds of 35 mph. 

5) Toy Guns are required to be bright and easily distinguishable (SB 199). This law requires all toy guns to not look like real weapons by using bright colors. Airsoft and BB guns are not affected by this SB 199 because they do not fall under California’s definition of imitation weapons. 

6) California Motor Voter Program (AB 1461) automatically registers everyone to vote, if qualified. The DMV will automatically register driver’s license and identification applicants who are eligible to vote. Every voting-eligible resident who applies for or renews a driver’s license or ID card with the ability to opt out will be registered. This law is expected to add millions of newly registered voters to California’s voter rolls.

7) If you don’t like one of these laws or others and you want to change them, you will have to raise a lot of more money thanks to (AB 1100). The new state law will increase the filing fee from $200 to $2,000.