Alabama has a new rule about carrying hidden guns—no permit needed. But there’s an important rule—don’t show it off or “brandish” it. This change, from House Bill 272, makes Alabama the 25th state to allow carrying a concealed gun without a permit.
While some say it gives people more freedom, others are worried. Without permits, there’s no way to make sure someone knows how to use a gun safely or has a clear record.
California made a new rule this summer about voting. Local governments can’t make people show ID when they vote or turn in their ballots, unless it’s already required by state or federal law. This rule is meant to make voting easier for everyone.
Some people worry it could lead to problems like not being able to check if someone is who they say they are. The idea for this law came from Dave Min, a California state senator. While the goal is to help more people vote, not everyone agrees on whether this change is a good idea.
Connecticut made a big change on January 1. People who had been convicted of having marijuana now have those records wiped away, either fully or partly. This is part of a law from 2021 that set rules for adults using marijuana in the state.
About 44,000 cases are affected, according to Governor Ned Lamont's office. While some think this is a good step toward giving people a fresh start, others worry about the message it might send about following the law. It’s a big decision, and not everyone agrees if it’s the right one.
Public schools in North Dakota are no longer allowed to include lessons on “critical race theory” in the required curriculum. This is because of a new law that officially went into effect on January 1. Supporters of the law say it will help focus education on less controversial topics and ensure lessons stay neutral.
Others are concerned it could restrict important discussions about America’s history and social issues. They also worry that avoiding these topics might make it harder for students to understand the world around them. This change has left many people debating how schools should handle complex ideas.
Governor Kevin Stitt signed a controversial immigration law in Oklahoma called House Bill 4156. It creates a new crime for willfully entering the state without legal U.S. authorization. A first offense can mean up to a year in jail and a $500 fine, while a second offense is a felony with harsher penalties.
Supporters, including Stitt, say the law protects Oklahomans and prevents illegal border crossings. Critics argue it could harm the workforce, strain resources like law enforcement, and lead to expensive legal battles. The law, which took effect immediately, has sparked debates about fairness and its long-term impacts.
House Bill 1069, also called the “Don’t Say Period” law, now limits what schools in Florida can teach about reproductive health before sixth grade, including topics like menstruation. It also prevents schools from requiring staff to use students’ preferred pronouns.
Supporters say the law reflects parents' values, but critics argue it could hurt student health and increase stigma around important topics. Teachers and activists worry students might rely on peers or unreliable sources for answers, leading to confusion.
Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 17, making Texas the second state to ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices in public universities. The new law shuts down DEI programs, prohibits mandatory DEI training, and enforces “color-blind” and gender-neutral hiring practices.
Supporters argue it ends political bias and focuses on merit, while critics say it harms efforts to create inclusive campuses and may lead to federal funding losses. Student and faculty groups worry it will reduce support for underrepresented groups and discourage diversity in education. The law has sparked debate over its long-term effects on Texas universities and students.
A new Louisiana law requires public schools to display the Ten Commandments in a very specific way. The law requires that it “a poster or framed document that is at least eleven inches by fourteen inches.”
The legislation also adds that “the text of the Ten Commandments shall be the central focus of the poster or framed document and shall be printed in a large, easily readable font.” So much for separation of church and state.
New Hampshire has passed a law that bans gender-affirming surgeries for anyone under 18. The law says doctors cannot perform genital gender reassignment surgeries on minors in the state. Supporters of the law argue it protects young people from making life-changing decisions before they are fully grown.
Supporters, however, worry it could harm minors who feel such procedures are essential for their well-being. The decision has sparked discussions about how to balance protecting young people and respecting their personal choices.
We, quite literally, owe our lives to doctors and nurses. We should want them to be taken care of too, right? Wrong!
When Washington state passed a law that requires hospitals to give nurses uninterrupted food and rest breaks, many people were really mad. Senator Maureen Walsh even went so far as to say that nurses in small hospitals have nothing better to do than play cards all day.
Anthem, the health insurance company, was subject to heavy criticism in the past few years when it enacted a controversial emergency room policy in Missouri. This policy would allow Anthem to deny coverage on claims that are not considered to be an emergency.
As you can guess, many people were really mad about the idea of an impersonal company deciding not to cover their ER visit because it was deemed “not an emergency.”
The Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act (SB 1070) is a 2010 legislative act that became the most feared and strict anti-illegal immigration law passed in the United States.
It allowed cops to demand papers from people they had “reasonable suspicion” of being illegal, which lead to horrible racial profiling.
Governor Matt Bevin signed controversial legislation back in January of 2017, which would allow workers to refuse to pay union dues. The “Right to Work” law separates workers from the union.
Situations like that inevitably end up with reduced wages, harsher working environments, and a silenced workforce. No wonder so many people were mad about it.
In April of 2015, Arkansas passed a religious freedom bill that faced national backlash for allowing discrimination from business owners against members of the LGBT community, people of color, religious minorities, and others.
This was largely regarded as a bad move and was harshly criticized by Arkansans and the rest of the country.
You wouldn’t think that establishing a new holiday or commemorative date would be controversial, but people will never fail to surprise you. In 2018, Illinois established August 4 as Barack Obama Day.
It makes sense because he was the Senator of Illinois before he was president, but many people who are dedicated Obama-haters absolutely despise this new holiday.
Since 2013, Maryland has been using a controversial and powerful facial recognition software to catch criminals. The state-exclusive software combs through Maryland’s mugshots, driver’s licenses, and the FBI mugshot database using some of the most powerful facial recognition software around.
It’s not exactly a law, but the controversy stems from the fact that privacy laws don’t protect anyone in this system.
In 2019, Governor Jared Polis signed the controversial “red flag” bill. Also known as the Extreme Risk Protection Order, this law allows a family member, roommate, or police officer to seize someone’s personal firearms if that person is believed to be a risk to themselves or others.
Many people view this law as unconstitutional.
In July of 2018, Idaho citizens had a whole new set of laws to follow. One of those laws was the controversial “Stand Your Ground” bill, which allows one to defend their home, place of work, or occupied vehicle with deadly force.
This justifiable homicide law made many citizens angry because they believed it would encourage racial discrimination and “shoot first, ask questions later” logic.
Getting a job after serving time can be really difficult. New Mexico tried to make the applying process easier by making it illegal for employers to ask about your criminal history unless you bring it up first.
This was very controversial because most people feel like they deserve to know if their potential employee is a criminal.
Iowa made steps to protect farmers and other property owners from people who lie to gain access to their property and intend to do harm in some way to the property, the people there, or a business.
This seems great, except when you look closer you can plainly see this 2018 law as a bad attempt to protect the slaughterhouse and meatpacking industry from undercover reporters while covering up horrible animal abuse.
Montana used to truly be the land of the free because they had very lax speed limit laws. When the state government finally introduced an official speed limit there was also a $5 fine for anyone who was caught speeding for harming the environment.
Residents started carrying bills in their car to give to officers who bothered to fine them, angering many locals.
In 2018, a new law was passed in Kansas regarding adoption laws that made many people very angry. The new law ensured that faith-based adoption agencies are allowed to turn away gay and lesbian couples based on religious beliefs.
Who wouldn’t be mad over denying children a loving home because of someone else’s bigoted beliefs?
Recently, the Nevada governor signed the controversial “red flag” bill. This law allows a family member, roommate, or police officer to seize someone’s personal firearms if that person is believed to be a risk to themselves or others.
As you can imagine, many people felt like their gun rights were being threatened.
In June of 2019, Maine became the eighth state to legalize medically assisted suicide. Governor Janet Mills was unsure of the bill but believes it will be a good thing, as long as it’s used sparingly and only for those who truly need it.
Many people oppose this law because it’s a natural reaction to want to extend life rather than end it early.
Alaska Governor Bill Walker signed Senate Bill 91 (SB 91) on July 11, 2016, which brought about major changes to the justice system. This was met with resistance because it took jail time off the table (or reduced the time) for most common crimes except homicides or sex crimes.
It also required Alaska to hire for a new unit known as “Pretrial Services” to monitor inmates who might be out of jail before a court date.
While this law hasn’t been enacted yet, Regulation 225 was subject to a social media firestorm in 2017 because of its controversial aspects. The law would allow for discrimination against LBGT, particularly transgendered, youth in schools.
It would force students to self-identify their gender and out those students to their parents. The revised proposal for 2018 is just as hated.
The right to protest is one of America’s cherished rights, especially in recent years. However, Minnesota lawmakers passed a controversial bill in 2017 that would give local governments the power to sue protestors to recover law enforcement costs.
During a session on January 24, 2017, citizens showed up to publicly shame and criticize the representatives for the new law.
Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed a law in 2015 that was very similar to Arkansas’s controversial law. Essentially, this new law allows for discrimination against religious minorities, people of color, and members of the LGBT community.
Way to reverse the progress accomplished in the civil rights movement, Indiana.
This is an example of a good law that makes people mad. Vermont now requires a new process for deciding if a building project meets environmental safety standards. It’s controversial because of how much money it costs for businesses to do this.
Apparently, people would rather have their new bank a few months quicker than wait and see if it’ll pollute the drinking water.
The topic of abortion has been popular in the news for a long time now, too. Governor Brian Kemp signed a bill that would ban abortions if a heartbeat could be detected. This can happen as early as five and a half to six weeks of gestation.
This legislation challenges the Supreme Court Roe v. Wade case and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Planned Parenthood plan to challenge this new legislation to court.
Like Colorado, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed the “Red Flag” gun bill, which allows a relative or officer to remove the person’s firearms if they’re considered a danger.
The idea is to prevent murders and suicides, but the law is ultimately seen as banning due process only for licensed gun owners.
On January 1, 2019, Hawaii’s highly controversial law went into effect. This new legislation legalizes assisted suicide for patients with a terminal illness. Hospitals and pharmacies in Hawaii say they won’t allow these medications to be filled or patients to do this procedure in their facility.
Right-to-die laws are famous for being so intensely argued from both sides, and this one is no different.
Mississippi isn’t known for its groundbreaking laws, and in 2016, state legislators proved that once again. In reaction to the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, Mississippi wrote it’s own law, “Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act” (HB 1523).
This law bans gay marriage on the state level, which made a lot of people really mad.
Michigan was the subject of controversy when Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation that would allow adoption agencies to discriminate and deny services to prospective parents on religious grounds (basically exactly like Kansas’s law).
This bill also requires the agency denying service to provide the would-be parents with references to other agencies and a written list of options.
Transgender rights are another hotly debated subject in America, with many public figures taking a stance. North Carolina took a stance of their own and allowed transgender people to choose which bathroom they used based on self-identity.
This is a great law, but unfortunately, there are a lot of hateful people out there who were mad about it.
Abortion is a big issue right now and has been for a long time. While many states are making their abortion laws stricter, New York has made theirs more forgiving.
Doctors no longer have to be the sole abortion providers, and abortions are allowed after 24 weeks under certain circumstances. Many people were really mad about these new allowances.
Oregon has joined the ranks of other states that signed the controversial “red flag” bill. This law allows a family member, roommate, or police officer to seize someone’s personal firearms if that person is believed to be a risk to themselves or others.
Of course, many people view this as infringing on the right to bear arms.
In a shocking and scary new policy, the South Carolina governor chose to let the citizens have a lot of freedom with their guns.
Residents no longer have to have a permit for a concealed or open-carry weapon. Pretty terrifying.
Transphobia is not new, and it seems to be getting more intense all the time. South Dakota decided to ban the teaching of gender dysphoria in schools because they fear it would influence students into developing the condition.
Obviously, this is controversial, because it denies the existence of transgender people and hides the concept from kids who might be going through something similar.
Hunting laws are rarely very controversial, but there was bound to be one that made people mad. Senate Bill 590 allowed for commercially guided bear hunting, and bear hunters and advocates from around the state showed up in protest.
This law would put a price on bear heads and end up with illegal hunting all over just to satisfy a paying customer.
Wisconsin didn’t make waves in 2017 for abortion or immigration laws. No, the law that angered Wisconsin residents involved experimental drugs. Senate Bill 84 would allow patients to try out drugs not approved by the FDA if they were eligible.
Citizens were enraged because they felt like it was a sort of legalized human medical experimentation.
