The first day of the year brings a mix of state laws that, in some cases, officials describe as among the first of their kind—ranging from climate-related fees for tourists to changes aimed at drunk driving enforcement, prescription drug costs, and minimum wage floors.
Hawaii’s new “Green Fee” increases the daily room rate tax by 0.75% to fund projects intended to address the effects of climate change. Officials said the money will be used for efforts such as replenishing sand on eroding beaches and removing invasive grasses, and they estimated it will generate nearly $100 million annually, according to the Associated Press. Democratic Gov. Josh Green said when he signed the legislation that, as an island chain, Hawaii cannot wait for the next disaster and must build resiliency now.
Utah’s new alcohol rules tighten enforcement around drunken driving convictions. Restaurants and bars will be required to check the identification of every customer before serving or selling alcohol, regardless of age, under a law intended to keep alcohol away from certain people convicted of driving drunk. The law also calls for people convicted of “extreme driving under the influence”—defined by a blood alcohol content of at least 0.16% or other factors—to surrender their driver’s licenses, with any replacement ID to carry a prominent red stripe and the words “No Alcohol Sale.” The measure also gives judges discretion to impose the restriction for lesser offenses, and it allows people to obtain a red-striped ID voluntarily, according to the AP report. Republican state Rep. Steve Eliason, the sponsor, said the approach is “not completely bulletproof” but makes it “more difficult” for someone alcohol-restricted to drink.
California is also rolling out a public-facing affordability effort for insulin. The state will begin selling state-branded insulin under the CalRx brand, described as a generic option sold at a recommended price of $11 per pen, or up to $55 for a five-pack. The sales arrive nearly three years after Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a partnership with the nonprofit Civica to sell lower-priced state-branded generic drugs, and the Associated Press also noted that Newsom signed legislation the prior year to cap insulin copayments for large health insurers at $35 per month.
Minimum wage increases will also take effect in multiple places. Washington’s statewide minimum wage will rise to $17.13 an hour through an annual inflationary adjustment, making it the first state to exceed $17 per hour, the AP reported. The Associated Press said Connecticut’s minimum wage will increase to $16.94 an hour and California’s to $16.90, while some cities set higher local rates, including Seattle at $21.30 and Tukwila at $21.65.
The Associated Press report also said at least a dozen states will have minimum wages of $15 or more by 2026, including new rates set by voter-approved ballot measures in Missouri and Nebraska, while about 20 other states will still follow the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour. In Georgia, meanwhile, lawmakers approved new specialty vehicle license plates featuring an image of the American flag with the words “America First,” with the plate costing $90 in its first year and $55 to renew.
The license plate’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Steve Gooch, said the plate gives drivers an opportunity to show support for President Trump and his movement, according to the Associated Press. Gooch also said, “No other state has passed it,” and he predicted other states would copy the legislation next year. The Associated Press noted that several other states also introduced patriotic plates timed to the nation’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, including Michigan’s red, white and blue plate, South Carolina’s “Where the Revolutionary War Was Won” liberty flag plate, and Pennsylvania’s “Let Freedom Ring” license plate featuring the Liberty Bell.