A new year, some new laws

The start of 2011 was also the start of some new laws that quietly went into effect on Saturday.

Two of those laws focus on decreasing toxic chemicals in our environments. One is a ban on certain toxic flame retardants used in upholstered furniture, computers and televisions. This was a bill Rep. Ross Hunter worked on for years and finally passed in 2007. Another eliminates use of lead wheel weights, which frequently fall off vehicles and become a source of groundwater and stormwater pollution.

Also in effect is the new "Emergency Zone Law" which requires motorists to leave a 200-foot buffer around emergency vehicles who have stopped and are responding to an emergency. Fines for failing to make room for first responders can be as high as $248.

Other new laws include an expansion of eligibility for people who can apply for an interlock-ignition drivers license and authority for judges to personally set bail for people arrested on felony charges (a law prompted by the 2009 Lakewood officer shootings).