New year, new laws. Check out some of the latest updates to Pa.’s books.

They include a 'Clean Slate' measure, designed to get people back into the workforce after convictions.

• Katie Meyer/WITF
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Katie Meyer was WITF’s Capitol Bureau Chief from 2016-2020. While at WITF, she covered all things state politics for public radio stations throughout Pennsylvania. Katie came to Harrisburg by way of New York City, where she worked at Fordham University’s public radio station, WFUV, as an anchor, general assignment reporter, and co-host of an original podcast. A 2016 graduate of Fordham, she earned several awards for her work at WFUV, including four 2016 Gracies.
  
  Katie is a native New Yorker, though she originally hails from Troy, a little farther up the Hudson River. She can attest that the bagels are still pretty good there.
  
  WITF's Capitol Bureau Chief Desk is partially funded through generous gifts made in the memory of Tony May through the Anthony J. May Memorial Fund.
  
  For more information about Tony May, click here.

 Tom Downing / WITF

The state Capitol building in Harrisburg.

(Harrisburg) — As 2018 turned to 2019, a bunch of new laws took effect in Pennsylvania.

For one, a new year in the commonwealth wouldn’t be complete these days without an increase to turnpike tolls.

They went up six percent at the start of the year—the eleventh straight increase.

Harsher penalties for drunk driving are now on the books too. Third-time offenders with blood alcohol levels at or above 0.16 now face felony charges.

Another new bill, which partially kicked in after Christmas, is a so-called “Clean Slate” measure. It’s designed to get people back into the workforce after convictions, sealing records for summary offenses and non-violent misdemeanors after 10 years. Right now, people have to petition to get their records cleared, but the process will become automatic on June 28.

There is also a new law protecting child victims of human trafficking. Under it, these children can’t be prosecuted. It also creates a new victim services fund for them.

This article has been updated to correct a description of the Clean Slate Act. The record expungement process is not yet automatic. Until June, interested people will have to petition to have their records cleared. 

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