With the new year come new laws for Oregonians, including the most well-known of them all – legalized pot.
Recreational marijuana actually won’t be legal until July 1, but when it does the new law will allow a household to have up to 8 ounces of marijuana and to cultivate up to four plants. Individuals will be able to legally carry up to 1 ounce with them.
However, the sale of marijuana will remain illegal until early 2016, when Oregon Liquor Control Commission begins issuing licenses to retailers.
Meanwhile, here are some of the other laws now in effect as of January:
– Oregon’s minimum wage increases from $8.95 to $9.25 per hour, which adds up to $600 extra a year for full-time workers putting in 50 weeks a year. The state’s minimum wage has increased from $7.25, which is still the federal minimum wage, over the last decade.
– Children of volunteer emergency reserve or volunteer personnel, such as firefighters or police officers, who are killed or disabled in the line of duty, are eligible for college scholarships.
The Rob Libke Scholarship Act provides a four-year scholarship to a public university or an equal amount to a private school. The scholarship is funded through Oregon Student Access Commission’s grant program. The bill is named after Robert Libke, an Oregon City reserve officer who was shot to death in 2014 while on duty.
– As of Jan. 1, Oregonians who have a drug conviction from other states are able to get a license in Oregon to carry a concealed handgun.
Though state law generally prohibits those with drug convictions from getting a license to carry a concealed handgun, in 1973 Oregon reduced the severity of marijuana possession charges and has long allowed residents with one minor pot offense to obtain a license. That exception did not apply to Oregonians who got caught with an identical amount of marijuana in another state.
A bill to rectify that inconsistency was overwhelmingly approved last year in the House and Senate.
– Teens who report an alcohol-related emergency are now protected against prosecution for being a minor in possession of alcohol. A new law extends that protection, though it does not shield a young person from prosecution for other offenses, such as driving under the influence.
– Foreclosed homes on the auction block must contain a warning to prospective buyers if they haven’t been tested for methamphetamine contamination. The measure is a result of a case in the Klamath Falls area in which a couple bought a foreclosed home from Freddie Mac and, after their son became ill, discovered they were living in a former meth house that still had high residues of the drug.
– A new law gives the state attorney general more enforcement power over charitable organizations that violate disclosure rules.
Organizations that fail to file annual reports with the state or submit false information now face civil penalties ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 for willfully disregarding filing requirements. Previously, there was no enforcement mechanism.
The DOJ also plans to finalize a bill passed in 2013 that allows it to disqualify charities (i.e. prohibit them from soliciting donations) if they spend less than 30 percent of their donations on their stated cause.
– Auto dealers who need to get a title for a vehicle they are buying or selling more quickly can now pay an extra $100 fee to the Driver and Motor Vehicle Services to expedite that process, cutting the wait time to a few days instead of weeks.
– A new law gives mobile home park tenants the right to organize an effort to buy their park if the owner decides to put it up for sale. Tenants have 10 days to respond to a written notice from the owner before the park can be advertised or if the owner receives an unsolicited offer for the park.