1,080 new state laws to live by

New state laws taking effect on Jan. 1 will affect nearly every Californian, not to mention these miscreants.

The California Legislature passed 1,431 bills during 1998. Gov. Pete Wilson vetoed 351. Some of the remaining 1,080 took effect as soon as they were signed, such as budget-related bills last summer, but most are only now being implemented.

Owners of California's 25 million vehicles will enjoy a 25% decrease in the "car tax," an annual registration fee based on the value of the car. The owner of a $20,000 car will save $100; the cut for a $10,000 vehicle will be $50. The average cut will be about $45.

Motorists will see the reduction on the renewals mailed by the Department of Motor Vehicles; it will be labeled as "VLF offset." Anyone registering a new car or an out-ofstate vehicle after Jan. 1 will also see the cut.

One of the new crime-related laws makes it a misdemeanor to supervise or recruit a prostitute. That should make it easier to prosecute pimps.

Cities and counties will be able to regulate sexually oriented performances in "juice bars" that don't serve alcohol and therefore cannot be regulated under current booze laws. And adults who buy liquor for teens can spend at least six months in jail and pay a $1,000 fine.

Another law restricts ownership of body armor, which gang members and robbers use for protection against police bullets. It bars anyone convicted of a violent felony from buying, owning or possessing it.

Penalties for car chases are increasing. Anyone recklessly evading a police officer can get six months to a year, and a driver who chases someone and causes serious injury or death can get three to five years in prison.

After Princess Diana died in a car wreck while fleeing paparazzi, there were many calls for tough laws to protect the privacy of celebrities. A new California law allows lawsuits against anyone who takes pictures or tape-records someone where they might expect to have privacy - such as their own backyards or in private vacation spots.

On the education front, most reform bills passed in 1998 took effect this fall. However, come Jan. 1, districts also must devise policies to help students who are failing or falling behind.

The policy must identify students who should be retained or get extra help, based on either test scores or grades. Second- and third-grade students should be judged mainly on their reading ability; those finishing fourth grade, primary school and middle school should be identified based on reading, writing and math proficiency.

Kids whose needs are more psychological than remedial could benefit from one of the new animal-related laws. Beginning Jan. 1, anyone convicted of killing or abusing an animal cannot get probation without counseling. The intent is to catch people with violence problems early.

Another law requires circuses to notify local humane society officials before they arrive in town, to provide time to make sure the animals are well cared for.

Whether or not lawmakers are slimy, one of their new laws certainly is. It allows the Highway Patrol to stop and inspect truckers who haul kitchen grease to make sure they really own the goop. It seems there's actually a market for the stuff and it gets stolen regularly.

Finally, anyone who feels weighed down by all this legislation can applaud a new law that repeals a bunch of outdated laws, including a World War II number making it a crime to buy, sell or forge ration checks.

The author, outgoing Sen. Quentin Kopp, I-San Francisco, says the law "will eliminate excess verbiage to offset all the excess verbiage the Legislature adds each year."