New Laws For The New Year

New Year's Day will bring some changes to North Carolina laws. The new laws cover a wide spectrum of issues.

Among the changes that take effect January 1st, taxes are dropping for corporations and people, although the Associated Press reports that taxi drivers and movie-makers are losing preferential breaks.

Hunting and fishing licenses are locked into a future of low rate increases.

Military veterans and their spouses may find it easier to put previous skills to work, if they already have a license in their field in another state, or can demonstrate competency.

It will be a little more difficult for political partisans to toy with the primary election process. People filing as a candidate in a party primary must have had an affiliation with that party for at least 90 days before filing a candidacy notice.

Magistrates will be forced to retire at age 72, the same as state judges. And firefighters or emergency medical technicians already on the job will be subject to criminal history checks, a requirement formerly for new applicants.