Opinion

California’s 930 new state laws

Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law which requires law enforcement agencies to develop policies that encourage officers to search the state's database of gun purchases as part of routine welfare checks. More than 900 laws approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor will take effect Jan. 1, 2015. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) less Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law which requires law enforcement agencies to develop policies that encourage officers to search the state's database of gun purchases as part of routine welfare checks. More than 900 ... more Photo: Jae C. Hong / Associated Press Photo: Jae C. Hong / Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close California’s 930 new state laws 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

California’s knack for spotting problems and producing answers on topics both grand and puny is on display in 930 laws taking effect this month. The results affect this state’s 38.5 million residents but will lead other states plus Washington to take notice.

There are issues that the rest of the nation doesn’t want to touch. Undocumented residents can now sign up for driver’s licenses, a step that should make the roads safer and nudge an estimated 1.4 million people toward fuller participation in everyday life. It’s well short of reforming immigration laws, but it shows sensible steps can be taken.

Gun control is another example of a hyper-sensitive topic that is still amenable to small improvements. Families with troubled members now have a legal recourse in barring relatives from owning weapons, a change that followed a shooting rampage near a Santa Barbara university campus. As with driver’s licenses, this modest measure doesn’t get to the heart of hard public decision-making, yet it’s still an improvement.

There are other laws worth noting. Most single-use plastic bags will be banned beginning July 1, though bag makers are pushing a ballot measure to repeal the law. Their campaign is a replay of failed arguments when the Legislature enacted the measure. Dozens of California cities, including many in the Bay Area, have already phased out the sacks that jam drains, stick in tree branches and defy recycling.

Another midyear law will give uncovered workers sick pay for the first time. The measure has real meaning to employees in fast-food, retail and service-industry workplaces that don’t offer such coverage.

Lawmaking includes costly and confusing initiative campaigns sponsored by interest groups who want to dodge the Legislature. New rules will limit this end run by requiring public hearings and a longer vetting process that will better inform voters and expose flaws. It could be a landmark shift in moderating a much-exploited pathway to the ballot.

Another shift in the role of government could pay off in big ways. Local water agencies will now have to account for groundwater pumping, an unregulated practice that is siphoning off last-ditch water supplies in a drought. If the local districts can’t manage the job, then the state will step in.

The political machinery doesn’t always produce full-fledged answers. Sacramento remains dominated by teacher unions, which have blocked reforms that would dismiss underperforming instructors. One new law allows quicker firings, but only in the case of the most flagrant case of abusive behavior. It’s barely a start on the problem of unqualified teachers.

Technology may be a major industry here, but it’s producing problems that are finally getting a fix. Smartphones will now come with kill switches that can be activated in the case of theft. Another law dealing with “revenge porn” makes it illegal to distribute revealing photos without the subject’s permission.

The flip side of innovation is exceptionalism, and California continues to show its quirky side. Egg prices are predicted to rise because of a voter-passed law requiring roomier cages for egg-laying chickens. Homeowner associations won’t be able to penalize residents switching to drought-tolerant landscaping that might mar the smooth vistas of lawns. Dog owners will face fewer restrictions in taking their pooches to outdoor cafes, and Confederate flags won’t be sold in state souvenir shops.