With the start of a new month, came the beginning of a new litter law no in effect in Alabama.

The Alabama State Legislature passed a law that has upgraded littering, especially litter thrown from cars, from a Class C to a Class B misdemeanor. That means possible jail time up to six months and fines up to $3,000, plus court fees. The new law also mentions mandatory community service.

In an area that is impacted by litter, this law is a step in the right direction and is something that we need to help keep our streets clean.

This is only effective however if the law is actually enforced.

It is high time something is done about the litter that creates a permanent solution.

There are numerous groups that take time out of their weekend to help clean up Selma and Dallas County and we commend them, but it is sometimes discouraging to see a recently cleaned area go right back to how it was.

Legislation and law enforcement to be vigilant is another part of the fight against litter.

We are thankful for the groups that volunteer their time to clean up our county and hopefully this law will help enforce the work they have done.

It is something that impacts us all.

Nobody should have to live with garbage everywhere and it is not only a physical appearance issue but more importantly, it is becoming a health issue.