The new year always brings new laws.
In New York, skateboarding kids under 14 face a new requirement in the New Year - they must wear safety helmets while riding skateboards in public areas.
And a New Hampshire law lets adopted children get their original birth certificates. Alabama, Alaska, Kansas and Oregon have similar laws.
North Carolina requires car seats for children younger than eight or weighing less than 80 pounds (carpool bummer for your lean 4th grader).
In West Virginia, riders of all-terrain vehicles under age 18 must pass free, state-certified safety courses.
And then there's the new law in California that anyone under 14 years of age must have not only parental permission, but a note from a doctor before they may go to a tanning salon.
Liberals in California believe parents should be involved in the decision to get a tan at a salon, but they should not be involved in the decision to get an abortion.
They would amaze me if they weren't so consistent.