New 2026 laws are among the first of their kind to tackle climate change, drunken driving
Tourists celebrating the new year in Hawaii could become the first to be taxed to address the consequences of climate change.
In Utah, people who party too heartily — and get caught driving drunk — could be among the first to have their driver’s licenses striped red with the label: “No Alcohol Sale.”
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAmp?5 >@E@C:DED :? v6@C8:2 4@F=5 364@>6 E96 7:CDE E@ 5:DA=2J E96:C A2EC:@E:D> G:2 E96 DEJ=:?8D @7 !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A H:E9 2 DA64:2= “p>6C:42 u:CDE” G69:4=6 =:46?D6 A=2E6]k^Am
kAm%96 7:CDE @7 E96 J62C 3C:?8D H:E9 :E 2 G2C:6EJ @7 ?6H DE2E6 =2HD[ :?4=F5:?8 D@>6 E92E 2AA62C E@ 4@?E2:? 7:CDE\@7\E96:C\<:?5 A@=:4:6D[ AC@8C2>D @C AC@465FC6D]k^Am
kAmw6C6VD 2 =@@< 2E D@>6 @7 E96 ?6H =2HD E2<:?8 67764Eik^Am
k9am%96 7:CDE E@FC:D> E2I 7@C E96 62CE9k^9am
kAm|2?J 4:E:6D 2?5 DE2E6D :>A@D6 DA64:2= E2I6D @? 9@E6= DE2JD 2?5 G242E:@? C6?E2=D] w2H2:: H:== 364@>6 E96 7:CDE DE2E6 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^92H2::\E@FC:D>\E2I\4=:>2E6\492?86\ghe5fg556`56b2e75eb4fe`e`h5f5`2dQm9:<6 :ED E@FC:DE =@58:?8 E2Ik^2m DA64:7:42==J E@ 96=A 4@A6 H:E9 E96 67764ED @7 2 492?8:?8 4=:>2E6]k^Am
kAm$E2E6 @77:4:2=D 9@A6 E@ FD6 E96 AC@4665D 7C@> E96 255:E:@?2= _]fdT 52:=J C@@> C2E6 E2I 7@C AC@;64ED =:<6 C6A=6?:D9:?8 D2?5 @? 6C@5:?8 362496D @C C6>@G:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^92H2::\H:=57:C6D\4=:>2E6\492?86\ha4_hb_36f4ag64h24f`bha2gb4gfdgaQm:?G2D:G6 8C2DD6Dk^2m D:>:=2C E@ E9@D6 E92E 7F6=65 2 5625=J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^92H2::\>2F:\H:=57:C6\E9:?8D\E@\<?@H\7e3e23`h5h367`_f27ge65cdc2de6fc7QmH:=57:C6 @? |2F:k^2m :? pF8FDE a_ab] ~77:4:2=D 6DE:>2E6 E96 D@\42==65 “vC66? u66” H:== 86?6C2E6 ?62C=J S`__ >:==:@? 2??F2==J]k^Am
kAm“pD 2? :D=2?5 492:?[ w2H2:: 42??@E H2:E 7@C E96 ?6IE 5:D2DE6C E@ 9:E 367@C6 E2<:?8 24E:@?] (6 >FDE 3F:=5 C6D:=:6?4J ?@H[” s6>@4C2E:4 v@G] y@D9 vC66? D2:5 H9:=6 D:8?:?8 E96 =68:D=2E:@? 62C=:6C E9:D A2DE J62C]k^Am
k9am1xs A=62D6V — ?@ >2EE6C J@FC 286k^9am
kAm&E29VD 2=C625J DEC:4E 2=4@9@= =2HD 2C6 86EE:?8 6G6? DEC:4E6C] pD A2CE @7 2 ?6H =2H :?E6?565 E@ <66A 2=4@9@= 2H2J 7C@> D@>6 A6@A=6 4@?G:4E65 @7 5CF?<6? 5C:G:?8[ C6DE2FC2?ED 2?5 32CD H:== 36 C6BF:C65 E@ 4964< E96 :56?E:7:42E:@? @7 6G6CJ 4FDE@>6C[ C682C5=6DD @7 286[ 367@C6 D6CG:?8 @C D6==:?8 E96> 2=4@9@=]k^Am
kAm!6@A=6 4@?G:4E65 @7 “6IEC6>6 5C:G:?8 F?56C E96 :?7=F6?46” — 567:?65 2D 2 3=@@5 2=4@9@= 4@?E6?E @7 2E =62DE _]`eT @C @?6 @7 D6G6C2= @E96C 724E@CD — >FDE DFCC6?56C E96:C 5C:G6CVD =:46?D6D] p?J C6A=246>6?E xs H:== 362C 2 AC@>:?6?E C65 DEC:A6 @? E96 7C@?E 2=@?8D:56 E96 H@C5D[ “}@ p=4@9@= $2=6]” yF586D 2=D@ H:== 92G6 E96 5:D4C6E:@? E@ :>A@D6 E96 C6DEC:4E:@? 7@C =6DD6C @776?D6D[ 2?5 2?J@?6 H2?E:?8 E@ D9F? 3@@K6 42? G@=F?E2C:=J @3E2:? 2 C65\DEC:A65 xs]k^Am
kAm“(9:=6 E9:D :D?’E 4@>A=6E6=J 3F==6EAC@@7 :? E6C>D @7 6?DFC:?8 E92E D@>63@5J E92E’D 2=4@9@=\C6DEC:4E65 :D?’E 8@:?8 E@ 5C:?<[ :E ;FDE >2<6D :E >@C6 5:77:4F=E 7@C E96>[” D2:5 #6AF3=:42? DE2E6 #6A] $E6G6 t=:2D@?[ DA@?D@C @7 E96 =68:D=2E:@?]k^Am
k9am$E2E6\3C2?565 :?DF=:? 7@C D2=6k^9am
kAmr2=:7@C?:2 :D E2C86E:?8 9:89 AC6D4C:AE:@? 5CF8 AC:46D 3J 86EE:?8 :?E@ E96 3FD:?6DD :ED6=7] xE H:== 364@>6 E96 7:CDE DE2E6 E@ D6== 277@C523=6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42=:7@C?:2\277@C523=6\:?DF=:?\c`d655_3h`deff5a_d`5aa3c3g7g`a`4Qm:?DF=:? F?56C :ED @H? =236=k^2m]k^Am
kAm%96 D2=6D 4@>6 ?62C=J E9C66 J62CD 27E6C s6>@4C2E:4 v@G] v2G:? }6HD@> k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42=:7@C?:2\?6HD@>\:?DF=:?\A92C>246FE:42=\AC:46D\dbae75332da676eg6`e_26e4fa2db6f`Qm2??@F?465 2 A2CE?6CD9:Ak^2m H:E9 E96 ?@?AC@7:E r:G:42 E@ D6== DE2E6\3C2?565 86?6C:4 5CF8D 2E =@H6C AC:46D] %96 “r2=#I” 3C2?5 @7 :?DF=:? A6?D H:== 36 2G2:=23=6 2E 2 C64@>>6?565 AC:46 @7 S“ A6C A6?[ @C 2 >2I:>F> @7 Sdd 7@C 2 7:G6\A24<]k^Am
kAm}6HD@> 2=D@ D:8?65 =68:D=2E:@? E9:D A2DE J62C E92E H:== C6BF:C6 =2C86 962=E9 :?DFC6CD E@ DE2CE 42AA:?8 :?DF=:? 4@A2J>6?ED 2E Sbd A6C >@?E9]k^Am
k9amp >:?:>F> H286 E@AD S`f 2? 9@FCk^9am
kAmp? 2??F2= :?7=2E:@?2CJ 25;FDE>6?E H:== C2:D6 (2D9:?8E@?VD DE2E6H:56 >:?:>F> H286 E@ S`f]`b 2? 9@FC[ >2<:?8 :E E96 7:CDE DE2E6 E@ 6I4665 E96 S`f E9C6D9@=5]k^Am
kAm~E96CD 2C6?VE E@@ 72C 369:?5] %96 DE2E6H:56 >:?:>F> H286 H:== C:D6 E@ S`e]hc 2? 9@FC :? r@??64E:4FE 2?5 S`e]h_ 2?5 r2=:7@C?:2]k^Am
kAm$@>6 4:E:6D H:== 92G6 6G6? 9:896C >:?:>F> H286D] %96 C2E6 H:== C:D6 E@ Sa`]b_ 2? 9@FC :? $62EE=6 2?5 Sa`]ed :? :ED DF3FC3 @7 %F<H:=2[ (2D9:?8E@?]k^Am
kAmpE =62DE 2 5@K6? DE2E6D H:== 92G6 >:?:>F> H286D @7 S`d @C >@C6[ :?4=F5:?8 ?6H C2E6D D6E 3J G@E6C\2AAC@G65 32==@E >62DFC6D :? |:DD@FC: 2?5 }63C2D<2] qJ 4@?EC2DE[ a_ @E96C DE2E6D DE:== 7@==@H E96 7656C2= >:?:>F> H286 @7 Sf]ad 2? 9@FC]k^Am
k9am!2EC:@E:4 A=2E6D 7@C E96 C@25k^9am
kAm}6H DA64:2=EJ G69:4=6 =:46?D6 A=2E6D :? v6@C8:2 H:== 5:DA=2J 2? :>286 @7 E96 p>6C:42? 7=28 H:E9 E96 H@C5D “p>6C:42 u:CDE]” %96 A=2E6 H:== 4@DE Sh_ E96 7:CDE J62C 2?5 Sdd E@ C6?6H[ 4@>A2C65 E@ Sa_ J62C=J 7@C 2 DE2?52C5 =:46?D6 A=2E6]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6H =:46?D6 A=2E6 8:G6D A6@A=6 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ “D9@H J@FC DFAA@CE 7@C !C6D:56?E %CF>A 2?5 9:D >@G6>6?E H:E9 6G6CJ >:=6 J@F 5C:G6[” D2:5 #6AF3=:42? DE2E6 $6?] $E6G6 v@@49[ H9@ DA@?D@C65 E96 =68:D=2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“}@ @E96C DE2E6 92D A2DD65 :E[” v@@49 D2:5] qFE “x AC65:4E @E96C DE2E6D H:== 4@AJ @FC =68:D=2E:@? ?6IE J62C]”k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= @E96C DE2E6D 2=D@ 2C6 :?EC@5F4:?8 ?6H A2EC:@E:4 =:46?D6 A=2E6D E:>65 E@ E96 ?2E:@?VD ad_E9 2??:G6CD2CJ @7 E96 D:8?:?8 @7 E96 s64=2C2E:@? @7 x?56A6?56?46] |:49:82? H:== 92G6 2 ?6H C65[ H9:E6 2?5 3=F6 =:46?D6 A=2E6] $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 H:== 92G6 2 =:36CEJ 7=28 A=2E6 H:E9 E96 H@C5D[ “(96C6 E96 #6G@=FE:@?2CJ (2C (2D (@?]” !6??DJ=G2?:2 8@E 2 9625 DE2CE @? E96 46=63C2E:@? 62C=:6C E9:D J62C[ AC:?E:?8 2 “{6E uC665@> #:?8” =:46?D6 A=2E6 762EFC:?8 E96 {:36CEJ q6==]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAm{:63 C6A@CE65 7C@> y6776CD@? r:EJ[ |:DD@FC:] pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD HC:E6CD y677 p>J :? pE=2?E2j |2EE96H qC@H? :? q:==:?8D[ |@?E2?2j y6??:76C z6==696C :? w@?@=F=Fj 2?5 %Câ? }8FJễ? :? $24C2>6?E@[ r2=:7@C?:2[ 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.