Laws go into effect as U.S. courts deal with challenges to 2 measures
procedures this year. Anti-abortion activists who pushed for the law refer to the procedure as “dismemberment” say the procedure is cruel, although abortion providers say the dilation and evacuation procedure is the safest way for women to end their pregnancy in the second trimester. A federal judge decided Thursday to temporarily halt the ban.
While the courts untangle the constitutionality of the challenged state laws, many others go into effect Friday. Here’s a taste:
Texting while driving
Tex ting behind the wheel is now illegal in all of Texas. According to state law, drivers cannot “read, write, or send an electronic message while operating a motor vehicle unless the vehicle is stopped.”
The offense comes with a fine of $25 to $99 for a first offense, which balloons to $200 to $500 of found guilty of multiple offenses. The law, however, allows a driver to use a phone to control a car’s stereo system and to access a mapping app.
Texas was one of four states without a texting a driving ban after years of dead ends trying toge tab an both passed and signed by the governor. Last year, 455 people were killed and more than 3,000 seriously injured in Texas in vehicle crashes related to distracted driving.
Repeal of knife ban
Samurai swords, machetes, stilettos and other long blades are now legal to carry in public, shredding a previous state law that limited people to carrying blades no longer than 5.5 inches long. However, the law comes with a long list of location and age restrictions. Longer knives cannot be carried inside of places like schools, churches, hospitals and sporting events or by anyone under 18 years old without parental supervision.
“I think it’s an OK law,” said Hunter Follett, owner of Swords of Might, a Dallasareas word shop“Swords have been carried for 5,000 years, but I don’t want people going out in the streets who don’t know what they’re doing or don’t have training in carrying a sword and potentially frightening people.”
Hunting hogs from hot air balloons
Hunters can now shoot feral hogs and coyotes from a hot air balloon. Yes, a hot air balloon. The Legislature floated the idea to help eradicate the state’s estimated 2 million wild hogs that have caused millions of dollars in damage to crops and wreaked havoc on farmland. The hogs are an invasive species with no other natural predator, which has allowed them to proliferate.
Shooting hogs from hot air balloons allows people to sneak up on the animals and adds to the aerial hunting industry. However, opponentshave cautioned that federal agencies have lax regulations for commercial ballooning. Texas last year was home to the worst hot air balloon crash in history, killing 16 people outside of Lockhart.
Child marriage
A person younger than 18 can no longer marry in Texas unless a judge consents to the union, and no one under the age of 16 can get married anymore. Previously, the state allowed a child between 16 and 18 to marry with parental consent, and a judge would be needed to OK the marriage of a younger child. Texas had the second-highest number of child marriages in the country from 2010 to 2014, according to a Pew Research Center study. In that time, more than 7,000, children have married, according to Department of State Health Services.
Inappropriate studentteacher relationships
Principals and superintendents failing to quickly report cases of inappropriate relationships between teachers and students could face a state jail felony or a $500 to $10,000 fine. The Texas Education Agency reportedly opened more than 220 investigations into inappropriate educator relationships in fiscal year 201516. The law attempts to crack down on school districts unknowingly hiring teachers who were involved in improper student relationships at their past schools by creating new penalties to administrators who hide teacher misconduct.
Insurance claims, lawsuits
Homeowners may have fewer options to fight an insurance company that gives themalower-than-expected damage estimate. The new law will make it very difficult for lawyers to collect fees against insurance companiesand lowers the penalties companies have to pay if they fail to pay a legitimate claim “timely and fully.” The law is intended to crack down on frivolous insurance lawsuits, but consumer groups say it will negatively impact homeowners, particularly those hit by Hurricane Harvey. Lawmakers say the law applies only to wind claims and does not govern flood insurance.
‘Sincerely held religious beliefs’
Child welfare providers will be allowed to deny adoptions and other services based on their “sincerely held religious beliefs,” allowing faith-based organizations to place a child in a religious school and refuse to contract with other organizations that don’t share their religious beliefs. Opponents of the law argue it will lead to discrimination against LGBT people seeking to becoming foster or adoptive parents. Those in favor of the law refute those claims, saying faith-based groups must make referrals to other organizations.
Sandra Bland Act
A new law requires counties to divert people with mental health and substance abuse issues toward treatment instead of keeping them in jail. The law also makes it easier for inmates to receive bail if they have a mental illness or intellectual disability. The measure was named after Sandra Bland, a woman found dead in a Waller County jail after she was arrested during a traffic stop.