It’s July 1st, which means a string of new state laws go into effect today (Friday).

Iowa landowners can legally carry a loaded gun while they’re driving an A-T-V on their property. The bill that goes into effect today lets A-T-V operators on someone else’s property carry a gun, but the gun cannot be loaded and must be in a case. The law does NOT let you stay ON the A-T-V while shooting. You have to get off the vehicle to shoot. Another gun-related law about “suppressors” went into effect in March, on the day Governor Branstad approved it. It is now legal to have “suppressor” or “silencer” on a gun in Iowa.

Tougher penalties are also in effect beginning today, if you’re caught littering or illegally dumping garbage. The crime of illegal dumping covers getting rid of things like old television sets, refrigerators and tires in ditches, fields and other places that are NOT legal dump sites. If you’re caught illegally dumping something that weighs more than 10 pounds or something larger than 15 cubic feet, the fine will be a thousand dollars for a first offense. If you’re caught a second time, the fine doubles. It triples on a third offense. The crime of littering things like a pop can or a candy wrapper is a simple misdemeanor, but because of this new law fines can now go as high as 625-dollars.

The Keep IOWA Beautiful organization estimates the State of Iowa spends 35 million dollars each year to pick up the garbage that’s tossed out of moving vehicles. A Keep AMERICA Beautiful survey concludes nearly 22 percent of all litter is paper, about 20 percent is plastic and nearly six percent is glass. The largest share of litter, though, comes from smokers. Nearly 38 percent of litter comes from cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products.

(Radio Iowa)