SPOKANE, Wash. — As we enter 2024, Washington and Idaho will be putting several new laws into effect.
Here are some legislative changes happening in the Inland Northwest:
Washington:
Minimum Wage
Starting Jan. 1, Washington State will bump the minimum wage.
For workers 16 and older, the minimum wage will rise to $16.28 an hour, an increase of $0.54 from 2023. An increase in minimum wage also increases the minimum salary for certain workers to be exempt from overtime pay.
With this increase, Washington is now the state with the highest minimum wage.
Marijuana Testing
Starting Jan. 1, 2024, pre-employment drug testing for cannabis is prohibited by ESSB 5123, except for certain circumstances, including applicants for positions in law enforcement, fire departments and for safety sensitive positions.
Under this new law, employers are not able to test for the use of cannabis as a condition for hiring someone.
10-day Gun Waiting Period
If you are wanting to purchase a gun in 2024 in Washington you will need to complete a background check and then wait 10 business days before they are allowed to complete the purchase.
This new law also requires gun purchasers to take a safety training program within five years of purchasing it.
Street Racing
A new law beginning on Jan. 1 now imposes tougher penalties on street racing. If a driver is caught street racing, they could possibly have their car impounded for 72 hours on the first offense and forfeited on the second one.
Also, anyone who aided or abetted street racers can also be charged.
Idaho:
Student ID’s to Vote
House Bill 124 has now removed student ID issued by an Idaho high school, college, university or technical school from the list of forms of identification that are accepted at the polls.
If an Idaho resident is wanting to vote, the only forms of identification accepted include: An Idaho driver’s license, A U.S. passport or photo ID card, a tribal photo identification card or a license to carry concealed weapons.
Clean Slate Act
House Bill 149, the Clean Slate Act, will allow people with one low-level, non-sexual crime to have those records sealed. The sealing of records will only apply to those who have not committed a crime in five years and must not reoffend.
Only one offense may be shielded. Shielding records does not result in the destruction of records but instead prevents them from being publicly accessible.
Gender-Affirming Care for Minors
A federal judge blocked House Bill 71, the Vulnerable Child Protection Act, until a challenge is settled.
The ACLU and other groups say that this bill is violating the Fourteenth Amendment and has stated that they will be suing.
This bill criminalizes gender-affirming health care for youth who have gender dysphoria. If enacted it would ban gender-affirming surgeries, puberty blockers and hormones for patients under age 18.
