530 New Laws Go Into Effect On Thursday Here In Maine
This Thursday will bring about a lot of change for our little state, as 530 new laws will go into effect. As of September 19, Mainers will need to put their cell phones down for good while they drive, teens won't be able to vape on school grounds, various exemptions from getting vaccinated will go away, among several hundred other new laws.
We may see some of these things go away again in March, as referendums will bring the opportunity for some of these laws to become subject to a People's Veto, according to the Portland Press Herald. But that will require opponents of some of these laws to gather signatures and get things registered to go on the ballot.
There are a few serious hot buttons for folks that become law this week. There will be a law that allows medical aid to end one's own life if they are terminally ill. Also, police will now be able to take someone into custody and take their firearms if they are found to be a danger to themselves or others.
These two alone are likely to end up in a referendum. Maine is not a state where you can take away someone's guns and not hear about it. And assisted suicide is a huge issue all over the country. Again, you are quite likely going to get your say in these two things when it's all over.
But the big one everybody I know has been talking about, is the new law banning handheld cell phones while driving. Just this past weekend, I was on the highway quite a bit between here and Portland, and lost count of how many people I saw either gabbing away on their phone, or even worse, texting.
It'll be an interesting week of getting used to all sorts of new things. But sometimes, change can be a really good thing. It can often be a stupid waste of time as well. But let's hope that everything works out for the best. Mainers deserve to be taken care of.