OHIO, USA — It's a new year, and that means new laws in Ohio will be going into effect.
Below are some of the new laws signed by Governor DeWine that could have an impact on your life.
Cracking down on robocallers
Senate Bill 54 strengthens telecommunications fraud laws and allows the Attorney General to pursue robocallers in court.
It also criminalizes "spoofing", which is when a call appears to come from a different number, and increases penalties when robocallers target the elderly, disabled, or veterans.
SB54 was originally sponsored by State Senator Theresa Gavarone, a Republican from Bowling Green.
Read the text of SB54 here.
'Born Alive' abortion law
Senate Bill 157 aims to create protections for children who are born alive after a failed abortion. The controversial law establishes civil or criminal penalties for failing to preserve the health or life of a child born alive after an attempted abortion and requires reports to be made in such instances.
Opponents of the law say it could complicate doctors’ decisions when pregnancies go wrong. In addition they say the law is unnecessary because life-saving efforts are required in Ohio law already.
Read the text of SB157 here.
New congressional maps
Senate Bill 258 updates the state's Congressional districts. The controversial legislation was signed into
SB 258 was originally sponsored by State Senator Rob McColley, who represents parts of northwest Ohio.
The congressional map established by the bill will be in effect for the next four years. The map has been criticized for gerrymandering districts to favor the Republican Party.
Republican sponsors of the bill say the map doesn’t unduly favor either party and aligns with an amendment passed in 2015 by Ohio voters to encourage bipartisanship in the redistricting process.
Governor DeWine signed the bill in November.
Read the text of SB258 here.
Changes to alcohol regulation
Senate Bill 102 revises parts of Ohio's liquor control law.
For instance, it lowers the age limit to serve alcohol from 19 to 18.
Proponents hope that will help with the worker shortage facing many restaurants and bars.
The law also eases restrictions on homebrewers.
Read the text of SB102 here.
And of course, Ohio’s minimum wage increased to $9.30 an hour for non-tipped employees on January 1; up fifty cents from $8.80 per hour.
The minimum wage for tipped employees went from $4.40 to $4.65.
House Bill 29, which Governor DeWine signed into law just before Christmas, and legalizes sports gambling in Ohio is slated to go into effect in January 2023.
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