Controversial New Laws for 2024: 4 Laws to Come Into Effect

Have you heard of these new laws for 2024 that have also garnered quite a bit of scrutiny from certain people?

With how we are all focusing on the future of our country on the political spectrum with the primaries, a lot of us have forgotten about the new laws that could be coming into effect while our eyes are turned somewhere else.

We have been looking at some of the laws that are set to pass soon or have come into effect at the start of 2024, and some of them seem like they would upset certain people. A lot of these laws have to do with gun violence and gender, and one of them also tackles the likes of gender-neutral toys!

While you may not think twice about these laws that will be taking effect all through 2024, the legislatures are bracing themselves for a whole year of tackling some of the most divisive issues in our country to date, and some of these are going to be introduced starting this year.

If you are curious to see what some of the new laws certain states are introducing (that have also been a point of contention) and what you can expect from your state, make sure that you keep on reading!

What is your opinion on these new laws? Would you change some of these? Would you like to see more new laws like these passed? Let us know your opinion in the comments!

Illinois: A ban on book bans!

We have all gotten used to seeing book bans enforced in several states across the country, but we have not seen the reverse of that. Illinois passed a law last year that came into effect on January 1st, 2024, that bans libraries from banning books.

The law more explicitly makes state-run libraries and their staff adopt the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, while also making it effective statewide. Like this, all of them are forced to adhere to the notion that no book or reading material should be removed or prohibited from a library based on someone’s personal or partisan disapproval of the material.

All public libraries in Illinois that do not add the language used in the association or do not include similar worded rules will no longer be eligible for state grants. This means that most public libraries will have to adopt this and stop any form of book banning if they want the state’s support.

If you think this measure is a bit too much, we want to point out that in the 2022-2023 school year, there have been about 3,362 books banned country-wide, sometimes with school districts having to ban books due to “vague legislation.”.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has initiated the law and stands proudly against book banning, as he believes that this practice is against the American foundation and inhibits education, as children are not encouraged to think for themselves at all.

And when we take into consideration the fact that the dictionary was banned in one state’s school district, we tend to agree with him that people are taking it too far in other states.

If you would like to read the Illinois bill for yourself, you can read it here!

New York: No more ‘puppy mills’!

The word puppy mills is wrongly used when used to describe what this new law is about, but we will try our best to explain it here. New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the law back in December 2022, and it will take effect this year.

The law prohibits any pet shop from selling cats, dogs, and rabbits, as it has been found that they are being held in conditions deemed inappropriate for them and they suffer from poor treatment, with certain commercial shops treating breading and selling these animals as profitable side hustles.

As a result, not only the puppies, cats, and rabbits are suffering, but also the parents of the animals, as they are more often than not overbred. The law will also prohibit any breeder in the state from selling more than nine animals a year.

Instead of selling animals, the law actually encourages pet shops to work with shelters and adoption agencies in order to have the stray animals find a forever home, instead of focusing on bringing in extra animals into the world just to make a profit off of them.

Despite the honorable intention of the law, the president of a coalition of pet store owners from New York (People United to Protect Pet Integrity) has criticized the law as being “careless” and “counterproductive.”

If you would like to read more about puppy mills and what happens when these animals are held for breeding purposes only, we recommend you read this book on the matter!

California: Stores will have to have gender-neutral toy aisles!

This Californian law was passed back in 2021 and was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, and it took effect in January 2024. A lot of people were worried that this would impact small businesses disproportionately, but the law only targets shops that have more than 500 employees statewide, so small local shops are exempt from this law.

The law now requires major retailers in California to have gender-neutral toy aisles. This does not mean that they have to redo their aisles altogether or get rid of already focused boy or girl aisles, but rather that they have to include a selection (“a reasonable selection,” as the law says) of toys that could be marketed to children regardless of their sex.

The stores will have to include sections with toys that could be bought by parents for their children regardless of their gender, and if they are found to be going against this law, the stores will have to pay fines: an initial one of $250, with the fine raising up to $500 for repeated offenses.

One of the important sponsors of this bill, Assembly Member Evan Low, made a statement that this law will make it easier for parents to compare similar items for sale without having to adhere to gender stereotypes. It will also potentially stop retailers from differently pricing a toy due to the color it has and the children it is “aimed at,” making it easier on parents.

If you would like to read the law, you can find it here!

Michigan: Gun prevention laws!

The more accurate terms would be that Michigan is getting new gun laws altogether, and this is part of the state’s effort to reduce gun violence. We can expect these new laws to come into effect in early 2024 and to tackle some issues regarding gun laws that many people are worried about.

The law package includes:

• stricter background checks for those who wish to have the right to carry firearms;
• a red flag law, also known as an Extreme Risk Protection Order, which prohibits people who have been deemed a threat to others or themselves from possessing or buying guns;
• extra-safe gun storage requirements;
• a ban for people who have been convicted of domestic violence from owning, buying, and even transporting firearms for eight years since their verdict.

Given that polls have reflected that a majority of Michiganders have been wanting these restricted gun laws, the package passed by the Democrats comes swiftly and is celebrated by residents. If anything, the supporters of restricted gun laws are applauding the package and hope it becomes an example that other states will take and follow along.

If you are curious about gun prevention laws, note that Michigan is not the state with the strictest policy regarding firearms! If you carry them, it would be useful to make sure you know about the strictest states so that you do not get into any trouble. Read all about the states with the strictest gun laws here!