Opinion: California’s new laws, 2023

In 2022, as in every year within recent memory, hundreds of laws were passed by our legislature and signed by the state’s governor. With thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of laws on the books, it would not be surprising to learn that most of us break a law or two every day without ever knowing it. As we enter the second quarter of 2023, perhaps we should take a look at some of our new laws.

Jaywalking

For many years, we taught our kids that they had to cross streets within marked crosswalks. Not anymore. Assembly Member Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, sponsored AB2147 that prohibits police officers from stopping or citing people for jaywalking “unless a reasonably careful person would realize there is an immediate danger” of a collision with a vehicle or bicyclist.