With the new year comes new laws. Maine now has a new minimum wage of $12.15/hour and if you’re a tipped employee it’s $6.08/hour.  In addition to the increase in minimum wage,  employers with 11 or more people have to provide earned paid leave that employees can use for any purpose. Employees will earn 1 hour per every 40 hours worked. Maine Department of Labor has a useful FAQ here.

 Another new law to be aware of takes affect 10/1/2021. This law has been been delayed several times but is currently set to start this fall and it requires travelers using their drivers license to board a plane to have one the conforms to the Real ID Act. These licenses have a star in the upper right hand corner of your license.
If you are wondering what some of the other states are putting into effect for laws in 2021. For example, Hawaii has now banned sunscreens that contain oxybenzone and octinoxate. These chemicals have been found to cause damage to the coral reefs so vital to sea life. Two states, Arizona and Virginia, have now made it possible for police officers to pull drivers over for holding a phone while behind the wheel.
Two of the states that have eased up on some laws are Mississippi and Oregon. Mississippi has finally gotten rid of the last of the prohibition laws and Oregon has now decriminalized small amounts of street drugs. Finally, five more states have now followed Maine and legalized recreational use of marijuana. Maybe 2020 had some part in that?
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