by Scott Arnold
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Several new state laws go into effect in Sunday, the beginning of the new year. Laws from fighting meth to stopping voter fraud at the polls will all impact Tennesseans.
One of the Tennessee's new laws could possibly bring a new lawsuit against the state. The new Voter-ID requires everyone to have photo identification when they vote and will be tested for the first time during Tennessee's presidential primary in March.
Supporters said this new law will cut down on voter fraud, while opponents believe it will make it harder for minorities and senior citizens to vote.
Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union are warning of legal action if Democrats don't succeed in repealing or changing the law when they head back to session in January.
Another new law in the new year is the tracking of purchases of cold medicine. When you buy most cold medicines in 2012 it will be tracked in a new database designed to fight the war on Meth.
A new law requires pharmacies, and stores to use N-Plex. It's a statewide computerized system that will track who buys cold remedies with pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient used to make meth. Meth makers buy up these medicines, like Sudafed to make their product.
In the 2012 new legislation will require Tennessee businesses to make sure the people they hire are in this country legally. Employers must use e-verify,a free computer system that helps verify the employment eligibility of new hires.
"We probably as a result of this bill we will probably have the strongest e-verify bill in the country," said Tennessee State Representative Joe Carr.
More than 4,000 Tennessee businesses already use it, and claims to be 97% accurate.
The new year will also bring help to parents of children with hearing problems. A new law requires health insurance policies to pay up to a thousand dollars apiece for hearing aids every three years.
"These children need to be able to hear, they need to be able to talk, it's going to impact their speech, and they are going to need speech therapy, so when you look at the financial aspects of it, it's just completely overwhelming," said Andrea Kallis, a parent.
Another new state law aims to stop gang violence, and drive-by shootings. The legislation would strengthen the penalties for people who fire a weapon into a place like a neighborhood.
All these new laws take effect January first.
Tennessee New State Laws Go Into Effect January 1, 2012
email: sarnold@newschannel5.com
