Ohio has several new laws for 2019, including teaching cursive handwriting to your kids

CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) -While you ring in the New Year, Ohio is adding some new laws to the books and changing others.

Here is a look at just some of the laws coming online in 2019:

Cursive Handwriting: HB 58

The battle over whether or not to teach cursive handwriting is over thanks to a new law.

The Ohio Department of Education must now make sure all students can read and write printed letters by third grade and cursive by fifth.

Minimum Wage: HB 576

Starting Jan. 1, 2019 the state will increase the minimum wage from $8.30 to $8.55 and hour, for non-tipped employees. For those who make tips, your minimum wage goes from $4.15 to $4.30 and hour.

Alianna DeFreeze Law, Schools notifying parents: SB 82

14 year-old Alianna DeFreeze never made it to her Cleveland school the day was brutally murdered in an abandoned home. Her parents were never notified by the school that she didn’t show up. This bill now requires schools to contact parents within a reasonable amount of time, no later than two hours after the start of the school day.

Landline cost increase: HB 402

There are fewer and fewer people who have a wired landline phone so the public utilities asked for and got the chance to raise rates by $2 a month instead of the current cap of $1.25.

Lawmaker pay raises: SB 296

Lawmakers approved raises for themselves, and for more than what is considered a cost of living raise. The increases are as follows:

• In calendar year 2019, by four percent
• In calendar year 2020, by four percent
• In calendar year 2021, by three percent
• In calendar year 2022 through 2028, by one and three-quarters percent 

Flashers will now be sex offenders: HB 92

In a move to make tougher penalties for people who expose themselves, anyone caught and convicted of flashing will now have to register as a tier one sex offender. Tier one in the lowest, of the three levels, categorizing sex offenders.

Copyright 2018 WOIO. All rights reserved.