“No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session.” That quote is often misattributed to Mark Twain. It may be worthy of his name, but it was written by Gideon J. Tucker, a New York lawyer, politician, and newspaperman. While laws may become valid when passed, many are valid only at 12:01 a.m. on the first day of January. This new year brings many new laws and especially odiously woke ones from Blue State America.
‘I Can’t Worry About Every Undercapitalized Business’
The most widespread woke new laws across the country are minimum-wage increases. According to the Economic Policy Institute, 23 states plus the District of Columbia enacted such raises on Jan. 1. The progressive think tank says 8.4 million workers will take home an additional $5 billion in 2023. For those who appreciate free markets, the numbers reveal the same amount coerced from employers as unearned compensation. How many businesses operating on slim margins will this destroy?
Woke – Thy Name Is California
California leads the nation in woke new laws. Along with a rising minimum wage, the parade of new legal horribles there includes establishing the state as a transgender youth haven, disregarding parental involvement; banning the sale of fur and its use in making clothing, shoes, and handbags; meddling in product pricing to eliminate the “pink tax”; and imposing mandatory bereavement leave on employers. Perhaps the worst is the so-called Physician Misinformation Bill.
(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Dr. Simone Gold would undoubtedly be on all the shows and in the papers a la Dr. Fauci if she were a progressive. The University of Chicago-trained physician in emergency medicine and Stanford-trained lawyer heads America’s Frontline Doctor, a group dedicated to medical freedom. She said the new California law “prevents doctors from sharing the risks associated with mRNA experimental ‘vaccines.’” She called the new law “unbelievable” and tweeted, “In other words, doctors could have their medical licenses revoked for telling the truth.”
Meanwhile, a separate new law abolishes the requirement that coroners investigate stillbirths and protects someone who helps a pregnant person end a pregnancy voluntarily from criminal or civil liability. It also shields women who self-induce an abortion or otherwise obtain one outside the medical system.
Estás Bajo Arresto
Finally, police officers in the Golden State no longer need to “be a citizen of the United States or a permanent resident alien who is eligible for and has applied for citizenship.” Now green card and visa holders may wear a badge and gun. For conservatives, however, this may be a feature rather than a bug. Who is more likely to revere law and order and respect personal rights: a recent legal immigrant or a recent graduate of the Los Angeles Unified School District?
