Every new year brings new laws. For 2012, here are some new rules in San Francisco and in California that may affect or interest you. Pleading ignorance of the law won't necessarily get you off the hook, so read on.
In 2012, San Francisco's minimum wage hits historic heights: At $10.24 an hour, it will be the highest minimum wage in the country.
That's compared to last year's minimum of $9.92 per hour in San Francisco and to the current California minimum wage of $8 an hour and federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.
San Francisco's minimum wage has risen each year since 2003, when voters passed a ballot measure to adjust the wage annually based on the inflation rate. Every Jan. 1, the minimum changes according to the prior year's fluctuation in the Consumer Price Index for urban workers in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metro area. When the law was first executed in 2004, the minimum wage in the city was $8.50, about 20 percent less than it is today.
In contrast, the state minimum wage has stayed the same since 2008, and the federal has been the same since 2009.
The city's minimum wage covers any employee who works in San Francisco two or more hours in a week. It applies to both adults and minors, to full-time, part-time, permanent and temporary workers, and to employees regardless of their immigration status or whether they are legally authorized to work in the US.
Salary, hourly pay, commissions and non-discretionary performance bonuses are counted as "wages," but tips are not. This means waiters must be paid the minimum wage even if they earn tips that amount to much more than $10.24 an hour; not surprisingly, many restaurant owners oppose this.More »
Worried about the weight of its citizens, San Francisco as of Dec. 1, 2011, banned restaurant chains from giving away free toys with unhealthy kid's meals--such as the plastic figurines that come with McDonald's high-fat, high-salt, but oh-so-yummy Happy Meals.
So effective Dec. 1, McDonald's outlets in San Francisco charge customers for a Happy Meal toy. Cost: A dime.
If you have wine, beer or other alcohol in your shopping cart, go to a checkout lane that has a human cashier--the self-checkout lane is now off-limits. San Francisco Assemblywoman Fiona Ma proposed the measure to thwart the under-age set from buying booze without showing ID.More »
Kids under age 8 or shorter than 4 feet 9 inches have to sit in booster seats when in cars. Previously, kids were free of booster seats once they turned 6.More »
In social studies classes, public schools are to include lessons about LGBT communities and people with disabilities. The bill was sponsored by Senator Mark Leno of San Francisco. The curriculum is already required to incorporate the contributions that racial/ethnic groups such as African-, Asian-and Mexican-Americans made to the development of California and the nation.More »
Schools must have explicit policies against bullying and a process for investigating reports of bullying based on actual or perceived gender, gender identity or expression or sexual orientation. Seth's Law, which takes effect on July 1, 2012, is named after Seth Walsh, a Tehachapi 13-year-old who committed suicide in 2010 after being harassed for being gay. San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano sponsored the bill.More »
Importing shark fins is banned. Fins already here can be sold and used until July 2013, when it'll become illegal for anyone to possess, sell or distribute shark fins.More »
University of California, Cal State and community college campuses that administer privately funded scholarships are allowed to award them to students who are undocumented immigrants. The second phase of the law, which takes effect in January 2013, makes such students eligible for state financial aid as well.More »
Openly carrying an unloaded handgun is a misdemeanor. There are exceptions for law enforcement personnel, gun-show dealers and several other categories of people. More »
•SAN FRANCISCO: Our Lowest is Everyone’s Highest
In 2012, San Francisco's minimum wage hits historic heights: At $10.24 an hour, it will be the highest minimum wage in the country.
That's compared to last year's minimum of $9.92 per hour in San Francisco and to the current California minimum wage of $8 an hour and federal minimum of $7.25 an hour.
San Francisco's minimum wage has risen each year since 2003, when voters passed a ballot measure to adjust the wage annually based on the inflation rate. Every Jan. 1, the minimum changes according to the prior year's fluctuation in the Consumer Price Index for urban workers in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose metro area. When the law was first executed in 2004, the minimum wage in the city was $8.50, about 20 percent less than it is today.
In contrast, the state minimum wage has stayed the same since 2008, and the federal has been the same since 2009.
The city's minimum wage covers any employee who works in San Francisco two or more hours in a week. It applies to both adults and minors, to full-time, part-time, permanent and temporary workers, and to employees regardless of their immigration status or whether they are legally authorized to work in the US.
Salary, hourly pay, commissions and non-discretionary performance bonuses are counted as "wages," but tips are not. This means waiters must be paid the minimum wage even if they earn tips that amount to much more than $10.24 an hour; not surprisingly, many restaurant owners oppose this.More »
•SAN FRANCISCO: Biggest Legal Loophole
Worried about the weight of its citizens, San Francisco as of Dec. 1, 2011, banned restaurant chains from giving away free toys with unhealthy kid's meals--such as the plastic figurines that come with McDonald's high-fat, high-salt, but oh-so-yummy Happy Meals.
So effective Dec. 1, McDonald's outlets in San Francisco charge customers for a Happy Meal toy. Cost: A dime.
•CALIFORNIA: Booze Check
If you have wine, beer or other alcohol in your shopping cart, go to a checkout lane that has a human cashier--the self-checkout lane is now off-limits. San Francisco Assemblywoman Fiona Ma proposed the measure to thwart the under-age set from buying booze without showing ID.More »
•CALIFORNIA: Two More Years of Car Seats
Kids under age 8 or shorter than 4 feet 9 inches have to sit in booster seats when in cars. Previously, kids were free of booster seats once they turned 6.More »
•CALIFORNIA: LGBT in Social Studies
In social studies classes, public schools are to include lessons about LGBT communities and people with disabilities. The bill was sponsored by Senator Mark Leno of San Francisco. The curriculum is already required to incorporate the contributions that racial/ethnic groups such as African-, Asian-and Mexican-Americans made to the development of California and the nation.More »
•CALIFORNIA: Anti-Gay Bullying
Schools must have explicit policies against bullying and a process for investigating reports of bullying based on actual or perceived gender, gender identity or expression or sexual orientation. Seth's Law, which takes effect on July 1, 2012, is named after Seth Walsh, a Tehachapi 13-year-old who committed suicide in 2010 after being harassed for being gay. San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano sponsored the bill.More »
•CALIFORNIA: Shark Fin off the Menu
Importing shark fins is banned. Fins already here can be sold and used until July 2013, when it'll become illegal for anyone to possess, sell or distribute shark fins.More »
•CALIFORNIA: Dream Act, Part I
University of California, Cal State and community college campuses that administer privately funded scholarships are allowed to award them to students who are undocumented immigrants. The second phase of the law, which takes effect in January 2013, makes such students eligible for state financial aid as well.More »
•CALIFORNIA: Gun-Toting
Openly carrying an unloaded handgun is a misdemeanor. There are exceptions for law enforcement personnel, gun-show dealers and several other categories of people. More »
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