A whole bunch of new laws to obey

Utahns have 301 new laws to obey today.

The bulk of each Legislature's work takes effect 60 days after the general session ends in early March. And that's May 3 this year.

Most of the new laws deal with the day-to-day workings of government and society.

And a few have a decidedly political bent — the so-called "message bills" aimed at letting Utahns know where the Legislature stands on parental rights, abortion and other controversial issues.

Two of those deal with abortion. SB68 bans any use of state monies for abortions, and SB69 bans the controversial procedure known as partial-birth abortion. Abortion rights advocates have pledged to challenge both bills in court.

As of today you can be arrested for DUI if your blood alcohol level is only .05 and you have a minor in the car with you and you have a previous DUI conviction at the standard level of .08. And it's a Class A misdemeanor to falsify a Utah driver's license or other official document to make it appear that a minor is old enough to buy alcohol.

But if you do get busted for DUI, you can now work out a deal with prosecutors to get alcohol treatment instead of having the DUI on your record. The guilty plea is held in abeyance, but if the offender falls off the wagon, the guilty plea is reinstated.

Another law that takes effect today is among two that the House and Senate reapproved last Monday, overriding the veto of Gov. Olene Walker. Walker, in an outburst of anger, said lawmakers were irresponsible, acted solely for political reasons and put into effect "two bad laws that Utahns will now have to live with" until they can be amended or repealed later.

One overridden bill — requiring local governments and school districts to hold special elections, like bond authorizations, only on primary and general election dates — takes effect in November.

The other that takes effect today defines unfair business practices and allows businesses to seek legal remedy if they have been harmed by predatory business practices. The bill is geared toward protecting the intellectual property of Utah's high-tech businesses.

There was no general tax increase this year, but there was no tax cut either.

But some fees are going up. And some state mandates on local governments may result in local taxes going up, too.