Maryland
New laws in Virginia, Maryland, DC going into effect July 1: gun control, cat declawing, child marriages
Starting July 1, residents in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., will see significant changes as a range of new laws come into effect.
These laws, signed by Governors Glenn Youngkin and Wes Moore, cover various issues from banning cat declawing and child marriages to prohibiting auto sears and cracking down on ticket price scams.
Additionally, D.C. will implement the highest minimum wage in the country, aiming to ensure fair wages for all workers.
Virginia laws going into effect July 1
In Virginia, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed 777 bills this session.
July 1 brings with it a ban on declawing cats, a ban on child marriages, and prohibits legacy admissions at public higher education institutes.
There is also new legislation that bans “auto sears” — also known as Glock switches.
Those are devices that can convert a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon that is able to rapidly fire a full magazine of bullets.
Delegate Michael Jones sponsored HB-22 – one of only two gun laws passed by the governor.
“It’s not your average gun owner who is going to have these, it’s people who are out there trying to hurt innocent people, innocent bystanders,” Jones said. “It’s going to keep us safe and make our streets a little safer.”
Maryland laws going into effect July 1
BALTIMORE, MD – OCTOBER 23: Maryland Governor Wes Moore speaks during a campaign event for Angela Alsobrook’s run for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat at Monument City Brewing Company in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 23, 2023.(Amanda Andrade-Rhoade
Moving into Maryland, Governor Wes Moore signed 1,049 bills into law.
Some changes you will see come July 1 include a ban on vaping in indoor spaces, public transportation, and workplaces, as well as alcohol delivery being allowed from permitted businesses.
And Maryland is cracking down on those wild ticket prices we have seen for concerts and shows lately – becoming the first state in the country to fine resellers and platforms that offer “speculative” tickets – tickets they don’t even own but sell anyway, driving up prices for everyone.
This was Maryland State Senator Dawn Gile’s bill.
She said it is in response to outrage from consumers, and she hopes it changes people’s perspectives on what it means to buy tickets.
“People have just become accustomed that this is what they have to do – pay these astronomical ticket prices to see a show but that’s not the way it should be,” Gile said. “There’s deception in the marketplace, there’s a manipulation in the marketplace of these prices and we can have a fair marketplace.”
Another one going into effect in Maryland on July 1 is called Nick’s Law – which calls for stricter boating rules and punishments when it comes to boating under the influence.
It’s named after Nick Barton, a 21-year-old college lacrosse player who was killed in a boating accident in June 2022 by someone who was drinking.
His mom, Marie Barton, has been fighting to make Maryland waterways safer ever since.
“After I lost Nick, I started looking into everything and I could not believe the law – or the lack of laws, I should say,” Barton said.
Nick’s Law prohibits a person from operating a vessel for two years if they are convicted of boating under the influence and five years if it results in death
“It also gives DNR a database which they have never had before to be able to track these boaters that aren’t supposed to be on the water,” Barton explained.
DC laws going into effect July 1
Muriel Bowser, mayor of the District of Columbia, during an interview in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. This summer Bowser and DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said they were united in opposition to a federal measure overhauling poli
The minimum wage is increasing in the District of Columbia on July 1, to $17.50 per hour for non-tipped workers, the highest in the United States.
The DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) sent FOX 5 the following statement.
“Mayor Bowser’s commitment to creating more pathways to the middle class remains a priority.
Starting July 1, the District’s minimum wage will increase to $17.50 per hour for non-tipped workers and $10.00 per hour for tipped employees.
This adjustment is crucial for ensuring workers receive fair wages and our employers comply with D.C. wage laws.
Maryland
Md. Gov. Moore touts public safety funding increase, even with crime continuing to drop – WTOP News
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore noted the continuing decrease in crime across the state and shared a proposal to spend $124.1 million on public safety in the next fiscal year budget.
Executive Aisha Braveboy and Police Chief George Nader(WTOP/John Domen)
Maryland lawmakers return to Annapolis next week, and plugging a roughly $1 billion budget hole will be one of many items on their agenda as the 2026 session gets underway.
This week, Gov. Wes Moore has been touting parts of the budget he’ll be unveiling, to go with legislation he intends to champion in Annapolis.
On Thursday, he stood in front of a huge gathering of police, federal law enforcement and prosecutors at the Maryland State Police Barracks in College Park to talk about the continuing decrease in crime and share a proposal to spend $124.1 million on public safety in the next budget.
“That is the highest level of funding in our state’s history, and a $2.3 million increase over last year’s budget,” Moore said. “These are real resources for local police departments all throughout the state of Maryland.”
He said the funding will support overtime patrolling and new equipment that “officers need to make sure they are doing their job safely and that they can get home to their families.”
Moore also took issue with the premise, often posed to Democrats, that you have to choose between siding with law enforcement or siding with “the community,” arguing that he does both “unapologetically.” He also promised that his plan for public safety is both urgent and strategic.
“This is backed by data and built on three core pillars,” Moore said. “Provide the resources and the support that law enforcement needs; build stronger, more vibrant communities that leave no one behind; and coordinate all aspects of government and community to make sure that our streets are safer.”
As he enters the final year of his term, Moore highlighted a 25% reduction in homicides around the state, to a number he said is the lowest in 40 years. He also touted a 50% violent crime reduction and a sharp drop in non-fatal shootings.
“This is not trends or vibes. It happens because we made smart investments, and it happened because we chose to do something really unique — work together,” Moore said. “We are standing here coordinated, bipartisan, nonpartisan, knowing that community safety does not have a partisan bend and protecting our neighbors does not have a political affiliation.”
At the same time, Moore said he wasn’t taking a victory lap about the heartening trends in crime just yet.
“We are making progress, yes, but we will not rest until everybody and all of our communities feel safe,” he said. “Too often, false choices will dominate the public safety debate. Do we want to hold criminals accountable, or do we want to focus on rehabilitation? We’re told to pick a side without understanding that’s not how people live.”
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