New laws on beer, broadband, driving are now in force

    The new year means a spread of new state laws are finally going into effect, including bills on beer and marijuana sales, rural internet subsidies, driver’s licenses and the state minimum wage.
    While some are the result of bills signed during Colorado’s 2018 legislative session, others reflect legislation signed in past years.
    Here are five of the most impactful laws that went into effect Jan. 1:
    
Full-strength beer to be stocked in grocery stores, gas stations
    Coloradoans may be making one fewer stop on their grocery runs as full-strength beer hits the shelves in markets and convenience stores across the state.
    Prior to Jan. 1, long-standing state regulations limited businesses other than liquor stores to selling reduced-alcohol beers, containing as much as 3.2 percent alcohol by weight. Shoppers can now pick up full-strength beer wherever reduced-alcohol beer was previously sold.
    The groundwork for the change was first laid with the passage of Colorado Senate Bill 16-197 in 2016. A bill passed in early 2018 imposed a set of regulations on sales for the newly licensed businesses, in part to soften the blow on Colorado’s liquor stores, but the 2016 change still promises to open the market to many retailers.
    In Holyoke, Kwik Stop transitioned to selling full-strength beer Jan. 1. Because neither Holyoke Marketplace nor CHS Grainland’s Ampride station sell alcohol, they were unaffected by the new laws.
    
State rural broadband funding shifts to grant-based model
    As the telecommunications market in Colorado becomes more competitive, the state is moving away from regular subsidies for telecommunications companies toward a model of one-time payouts for broadband development in underserved, rural areas.
    Senate Bill 18-002 requires the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, as of Jan. 1, to commit 60 percent of funds raised from an existing “high-cost support” tax on phone services to grants for rural broadband development.
    The portion of funds committed to these grants will increase by 10 percent each year until the money is depleted entirely.
    The minimum speed for an internet service to be considered broadband is also being raised from downstream upload speeds of 4 megabits per second to 10 megabits per second, and Colorado is now required to keep its minimum definition of broadband at or above the federal level.
    
Marijuana and derivatives subject to stricter testing
    Colorado’s marijuana industry is facing a battery of new testing and auditing standards, after regulations promulgated by the state’s Marijuana Enforcement Division went into force Jan. 1.
    The rules require a new audit and approval process for nontraditional products like nasal sprays and inhalers, and hold testing facilities to international laboratory standards defined by the International Organization for Standardization. Testing products for heavy metals and mycotoxins is also mandated.
    Some restrictions are also being relaxed, with an eye to business efficiency. Medical marijuana businesses are no longer required to source the majority of their products from an affiliated cultivator and can recycle organic waste like the roots, stalks and stems of marijuana plants for use in fibrous, nonconsumable products.
    
Residents may apply for a driver’s license with SSN
    A senate bill modifying the Colorado Road and Community Safety Act last year has made it possible for those residents unable to prove their lawful presence in the country to use their Social Security number to apply for a driver’s license.
    Before Jan. 1, applicants had to provide an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, which is issued by the IRS for taxpayers who are ineligible for Social Security.
    Those residents can also choose to renew their license online. First-time applicants are still required to apply in person.
    
Minimum wage clears $11 as third round of hikes effected
    For the third time in as many years, the state minimum wage has received a nearly one dollar bump, thanks to a 2016 ballot initiative mandating minimum wage increases through 2020.
    Employees in Colorado can now expect to receive at least $11.10 per hour — an increase of 90 cents from 2018. For tipped employees, whose minimum wage is $8.08, if their wages plus tips equal less than $11.10 per hour, their employer is required to make up the difference in cash.
    The federal minimum wage has remained fixed at $7.25 since 2009. Colorado is one of 29 states that has set its minimum wage above the federal minimum.