Since all of you unlucky souls have to work over the summer, and because I have nothing better to do, I figured I would do my civic responsibility and summarize the major changes in Virginia law that were officially enacted today. I mean, lets face it, the last thing any of you need is another arrest on your record, so pay close attention, class. These are some of the major changes to our Commonwealth’s laws beginning July 1, 2008:
- Animal Cruelty Laws Toughened - In light of the Michael Vick trial (discussed on cVillain HERE and in countless other threads), Virginia has decided to get tough on the punishment of animal abusers. Beginning today, attending an organized animal fight will be a felony. It will be also be a felony to use any substance or equipment to enhance an animal’s ability to fight. Cockfighting as a sport is now officially illegal in the state of Virginia as well.
- Mental Health System Reform - In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings (Parlie honored the rememberance of that horrible tragedy here), the General Assembly passed legislation to change the way the state identifies, monitors, and treats the mentally ill. To facilitate the proper treatment of mentally unstable individuals (and so they are unable to purchase firearms), new laws will help improve the exchange of mental health records.
- DMV Changes - Driver’s licenses issued after today will be valid for eight years instead of five. The state is also offering a $1 discount if you register your vehicle online. Hopefully this will avoid those awful trips to the DMV (read Belmont Yo’s experience if you don’t believe me).
- Sangria is Now Legal -434, baby! pointed this out to us yesterday. Virginia legislators did away with this obscure law that prohibited restaurants from serving drinks that mix wine or beer with liquor. Beginning today, restaurants can serve sangria, which usually includes red wine, fruits, brandy and triple sec, without fear of prosecution.
- Sexual Assualt Laws - A law known as the “marriage offer” loophole will now be abolished. This archaic law protected men who sexually attack girls 14 to 16 from criminal charges as long as they offer to marry the victim. Legislators also made it a crime for adults to French kiss a child younger than 13. Adults who tongue-kiss a would face up to one year in jail, a $2,500 fine, and be required to register as a sex offender.
- Payday Lending Reform - After years of debate, lawmakers passed reforms for the payday lending industry, limiting the number of short-term loans that a person can make per year. It is important to note, however, that the law failed to impose any limits on the interest rates (which can be as high as 391%). The changes don’t take effect until January to allow time for the creation of a database to track the short-term loans.
What do you guys think of these new laws? Many of them were enacted in response to some very publicized issues in the news this past year (Michael Vick, VT shootings, payday lending). Are these laws strong enough to discourage these actions? And more importantly, does anyone know of any restaurants in Charlottesville that are going to be serving the newly legal sangria?
Source: Daily Press
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Popularity: 39% [?]
Tagged as: code, general assembly, laws, legal, rules, Virginia
Sangria LEGAL HELL YA!!!!!
A $1 discount? Wow! Thanks state. What’s the point? The real benefit is not having to go wait in line. I’m pretty sure that anyone who can, will use the internet, even without the $1 discount.
Odie, this probably goes without saying, but this post is great!
seriously, Odie. Way to use those teaching skills to break it down for us in ways we simple bloggers can understand. Rock.
and comment: they really should’ve limited the interest rates on payday lending. That is obscene.
I’m torn between letting the free market run itself and predatory lending.
@ 3,4 thanks guys!
@5 I am totally with you on this one Chad. Do we let the magical market forces do their bidding, or do we step in to stop what is obvious exploitation? It’s a tough call, but after attending some town hall meetings and hearing people’s stories of how they have been exploited by these companies, I think the payday lending industry does need to be limited in some way. Usually I prefer to just leave the market alone and let it work it’s never ending magic, but people are seriously getting fucked over by these companies. Credit card companies are limited to how much interest they may charge, so why isn’t the payday lending industry held to a similar standard?
because the main people that use payday lending are poor people and immigrants? Credit cards are used by nearly everyone, particularly middle class voters.
@6: I understand why you feel there should be limits, but it’s not like anyone is forcing these people to use payday lenders. They obviously don’t know how to budget/live within their means. And it’s not like the terms of the loan are not made clear to them before they get the money. If they think it is too risky or the terms are absurd, then they shouldn’t apply for the loan.
@8 the problem is that the people who have to take these payday loans often have no other avenue for getting a loan. the bank won’t give them one, so their only choice is to use the loan sharks. in my mind it’s not unreasonable to limit the amount of interest that can be charged on these short-term loans. i mean, 391%?! if that is not an unfair lending practice, then i don’t know what is.
The thing is, the default rates on short-term loans have got to be a lot higher than your standard credit card — so if you cap it at the same interest rate, it’s likely not profitable for payday lenders to stay in business, and away they go. And while some people will cheer that, then the only avenue left for those who had to resort to payday lenders in the first place is loan sharks, like Odie said. That’s a better solution?
well stated, Chad. I guess my response would be that the caps on these payday loans would not have to be the same rate as the credit cards. It seems to me that the payday lending companies could still make money charging 50% interest or even 100% interest instead of nearly 400%. The General Assembly was close to passing a 37% limit on the loans, but they couldn’t get that stipulation out of committee (probably for the valid reasons you gave, Chad).
I wish that the mental health reform included funding for preventive mental health care so that fewer people would not have to get to the point of being involuntarily committed. I wish we’d leave the 19th century behind and realize that mental illness is largely a medical condition, not a defect of character.
Why does the right to privacy in one’s body end when the part of the body affected is the brain?
GUD!
It seems to me that the payday lending companies could still make money charging 50% interest or even 100% interest instead of nearly 400%.
It would seem that way — and if it was money to be paid in it, someone else would come in and start charging 50-100% interest instead, and eat the company’s lunch that is charging 400%. This is why, even though I think it’s a sleazy practice, it’s best to let the market work this out.
The new mental health laws are regression, not reform and go way beyond who can buy guns (only thing changed there is that people who volunteer for hospitalization after a TDO can’t buy a gun legally now, which will protect exactly no one in all probability.). The lack of confidentiality extends to custody fights in court which will discourage anyone from seeking counseling in or during a divorce. The lack of confidentiality is probably in violation of federal HIPPA law but will have to be challenged and will discourage people and parents of children from seeking psychiatric treatment for fear of consequences later on. Monitoring is not treatment and is turning people with an illness into probationers instead of patient and besides there is no money for real treatment, only for case managers without a licenses and drugs and more drugs but no money for medical care when folks are harmed by court ordered drugs. There is no counseling available in our public mental health system with a few exceptions in a few regions. Even folks in state hospitals don’t get therapy, just drugs and idiotic programming to keep them busy and bored out of their minds.
You can now be committed for being too depressed to go to work because under the interpretation being taught by the Supreme Court of Virginia having symptoms of a mental illness such as depression that could lead to job loss is grounds for involuntary commitment. You can also be committed for being at risk of losing custody due to mental illness; such commitment can then be used against you in custody court proceedings. You can be committed for being at risk of eviction due to symptoms of mental illness, which pretty much ensures you Will be evicted once you are taken away in handcuffs. You can be committed for being at risk of “financial harm”, i.e. spending more money than someone who knows you thinks you should be spending.
We have all lost more civil rights and gained no safety at all. This is a very sad day.
this is a thread that is dying for 26 world’s wisdom. are you lurking out there?
I want to know where I can buy me a newly legal glass of sangria!
Er, Mas?
It’ll be a couple of days before Mas gets back on the Sangria production schedule.
@16…am lurking but haven’t honestly digested it all quite yet.
As far as @8 ugh. seriously, ugh. Too much to be said in response, and too tired today to really take this one on. I recommend watching the doc “Maxed Out” if you haven’t. It premiered the VA film festival two festivals ago (I think) and has been on cable lately (is rentable), and introduces this issue pretty well, both on the payday lending tip and the easy-to-get-credit-card tip. Maybe you’ve seen it and maybe it’s just your opinion. I don’t like assumptions, but your thoughts leave me wondering if you’ve ever been so backed into a corner financially that you ever had to consider such a loan. If you have, please think about what about your life/upbringing/advantages allowed you to steer away from it and how others might not have those same benefits. Your use of “these people” is really disappointing.
I haven’t really examined all the changes to mental health law, and while I know there have been some top people in the field consulting on this reform (John Monahan and Richard Bonnie are aces in my book), I think tragic incidents like the Virginia Tech shootings often make legislatures rush bills through without much needed consideration…see also: just about every “sexual predator” law placed into effect. I honestly haven’t read the changes yet, so can’t really comment on this one.
@20 you remind me of those level-headed arbiters of truth and reason who were locked away to rot in dungeons and distant towers during “the enlightenment.” now your reincarnated spirit is exacting sweet revenge through the internet.
i was going to say something earlier touching on the idea that the mental health reform (which i haven’t read either) comes far too quickly on the heels of the VT shootings to be anything but reactive policymaking, but…
then i remembered that nobody reads the serious things i say, so: bonghit.
@21: so basically you guys totally agree on all sorts of things, only one of you is serious and one of you is not… uh-huh, I get it.
wait, which one of us is serious?
/totally kidding.
come on man, quit messing around. this is serious.
how bout both of you come to South Street? yeah? yeah.
parlie, if you are leading a double life with 26 world, then I have to say it is the greatest “same dude” duo since Clark Kent and Superman
you guys, i’m not going to lie to you.
there’s no way 26 is parlie.
I, too, refuse to believe that my internet arch nemesis and my current e-crush are one in the same. No friggin’ way.
i thought i was your e-crush stan?!
@27:
parlie’s never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down
Never gonna run around and desert you
Never gonna make you cry
Never gonna say goodbye
Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you
You’re done for now, Caroline.
mc just Rick Rolled you right out of Stanley’s e-heart.
http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/cht/654534964.html
parlie’s looking good!
oh, i think there’s a song about that craigslist ad.
yeah.
yeah, there is.