It's a brand new year, and as a result, a number of new laws just went into action in the State of California.

Perhaps, none more highly anticipated than the legalization of Marijuana, but there are a few others that could completely change the way we educate and hire the people the of California. 

At The Burg, we are very excited about a new law starting January 1st, 2018 that will make the first year of community college for first-time, full time students tuition-free. The state won't budget the funding until June, but it is an exciting precedent and it just lowered the barriers to many in attaining a higher education. 

Another new and very important law that is that employers can now no longer ask what an applicant's previous salary was, nor whether or not they have a criminal record. This is a great way to level the playing field, and give former convicts a better shot at reintegrating in society.

The most surprising and uncomfortable law, in our opinion, is reducing the penalties for knowingly exposing a sexual partner to HIV. The law (actually signed in Oct.) changes the consequences of doing so from a Felony to Misdemeanor. We are honestly not sure how we feel about this-- the team seems to have strong feelings in both directions. 

To read the rest of the measures, from sanctuary cities to minimum wage, here is a great link that goes over the brand new laws in California. 

Happy New Year to all, and we are looking forward to what's to come. 

Stay tuned :)