NORFOLK, Va. — Some new laws are taking effect July 1.
One is a law in Virginiathat was inspired by Irvo Otieno. He died in custody at Central State Hospital which sparked a call for mental health reform.
"It's an honor to have a law in Irvo's name," said Caroline Ouko, mother of Otieno said in June. "Irvo's law will give you access to be with your loved ones in a mental health crisis."
Other lawsaim firearms.
Some make it a felony for a parent or guardian in Virginia to give children access to firearms if they know the child to be a threat or charged with a violent crime. That was inspired by a shooting in 2021 when 13-year-old Lucia Bremer was shot and killed by a 14-year-old.
After that, her parents pushed for change.
"Our daughter Lucia was stolen from us," Bremer's father Jonathan said in a legislative hearing in January.
Another law works to protect first responders if they're exposed to toxic chemicals on the job.
"Not every bill gets unanimous support, but this was one of them," said Aaron Rouse, Virginia State Senator.
That issue's been covered by our News 3 Investigative Team. They followed through after the 2012 "Good Friday Miracle" jet crash in Virginia Beach. Many of those who responded to the crash later got cancer – some worried it came from toxic chemical exposure.
"We know the risk at that event was different," Virginia Beach Fire Department Chief Kenneth Pravetz told News 3 in February.
Other changes in the Commonwealth include:
- The end to child marriage when lawmakers closed a loophole and established 18 as the minimum age for marriage with no exceptions
- Increased pay for mayors and council members which Portsmouthand Hampton are implementing next year
- The European honey bee joins Virginia's official list of emblems as the state pollinator
And in North Carolina?
Lawmakers there are working to clean up voter registration rules.
One new law requires state and county boards to maintain a list of eligible voters and update it regularly to track of when voters become ineligible through death or felony convictions. That was part of a larger election law passed last year.
There were a few significant vetoes in our area too. Governor Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have allowed small businesses to run skilled games, which are similar to slot machines. He also rejected a 'right-to-contraception' bill, legislation aimed at eliminating tax exemptions for the Daughters of the Confederacy, among others.
