A number of states are slated to usher in a slew of new laws to welcome in the new year. Some will provide workers with much needed relief and extra pay, while others will loosen or tighten gun regulations.

Starting on Jan. 1, the minimum wage in New York will jump from $8.75 to $9 per hour, reports USA Today. Fast food workers will see an even bigger increase in their paychecks, with raises to $9.75, while those in New York City will receive a minimum of $10.50 per hour. Minimum wage increases will also take effect in many other states, including Colorado and South Dakota.

Meanwhile, workers in Oregon will benefit from a new law that mandates employers with more than 10 employees provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave per year to each worker, no matter if they're full-time, part-time, temporary or seasonal. Federal employees, however, will not be covered under the law.

Another new law will protect victims of sex assault, stalking and other crimes in Iowa by allowing them to keep their addresses confidential when registering to vote. Because voting records were previously open to the public, stalkers could easily track their victims through electronic voting databases and voting logs.

In the meantime, California will tighten gun regulation by implementing a "gun violence restraining order," which gives judges the power to seize guns from someone deemed a risk. Advocates say the law will reduce suicides and shootings by granting relatives the ability to remove guns from someone they believe could be dangerous. However, the National Rifle Association called it "one of the most egregious violations of civil liberties ever introduced" in the state.

A new gun law will also take effect in Oregon prohibiting a person subject to a restraining order or convicted of domestic abuse from purchasing guns or ammunition.

On the other hand, Texas became the 45th state to allow licensed owners to visibly carry holstered handguns. The owners of three grocery store chains in Texas are protesting the open carry law by forbidding weapons on their property. Other critics bashed the law on Twitter using the hashtag #GroceriesNotGuns.