Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Editorial: New Virginia laws take effect
Ignorance of the law is no excuse, so it's time to bone up on the changes lawmakers inflicted this year.
From the RoundTable blog
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The fruits of the General Assembly take effect today, and, as usual, it's a mixed harvest. As Virginians head out into a tweaked legal landscape, they can enjoy, curse and disregard what their elected officials have wrought.
Some of the most obvious changes take place on the roads.
One new law actually took effect months ago. Motorists must change lanes or slow down when an emergency vehicle stops on the shoulder with its lights flashing. That one should have been common sense, but that's something many drivers seem to lack.
Two other road laws could have used more work.
Driver's licenses are now valid for eight years instead of five, but the convenience comes with a nonfinancial cost. Virginians must pay more attention to elderly drivers whose skills on the road can decline dangerously in fewer than eight years. Lawmakers should adjust the rules for experienced drivers next year.
And legislators, who first took cellphones out of young drivers' hands, now have ordered school bus drivers to hang up. It's another small step toward finally telling all drivers to pay attention to the road.
The General Assembly also managed to whittle away at archaic temperance laws.
The commonwealth's odd ban on serving sangria is no more. Enjoy a glass at a local Spanish restaurant. Just don't order a boilermaker; other drinks mixing liquor with wine or beer remain illegal.
Teetotalers held a line on Sunday liquor sales, too. State liquor stores can open on Sundays in a few more big cities, but nowhere in Southwest Virginia.
Most new laws, however, will not affect average Virginians. They are just good to have on the books.
Lawmakers responded to the 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech. The criteria for identifying, detaining and treating mentally ill people who are a threat to themselves or others are better. Mental health care providers also have greater ability to notify schools, law enforcement and families about unstable individuals.
Meanwhile, colleges and universities now must create emergency response plans and keep them updated.
The state's schools are being made safer, and everyone should applaud that.
The same goes for new laws on animal fighting. Attending an animal fight is a felony today, and law enforcement will be better able to crack down on those who enjoy watching animals suffer.
Those who would sexually abuse children also are not welcome in Virginia. The state closed a loophole that allowed men who sexually attack girls 14 to 16 years old to dodge prosecution by proposing marriage.
Adults who French kiss kids will face stiff penalties, too. That Class 1 misdemeanor will land them on the sex offender registry. A sick crime, certainly, but lifetime registration for a misdemeanor seems a bit harsh.
Some of the new laws are far less specialized.
Topping the useful list is one that allows Virginians to direct national credit reporting agencies not to share their credit information without permission. Unfortunately, lawmakers decided those agencies could charge up to $10 per interaction. Credit privacy in an era of identity theft ought to be free.
New rules for payday lending companies kick in, too. They are not as strong as they should be, but they will offer some modest protections to help keep Virginians out of a spiral of predatory debt.
Then there are the hundreds of laws so obscure that they make little difference. We'll spare you the gory details. Lawmakers have to justify their jobs somehow, we guess.
