Twenty new laws hit the books in North Carolina Wednesday, including ones to toughen penalties for certain crimes.
Wives and girlfriends who are victims of domestic violence are expected to receive more legal protection under the new laws.
Penalties for shooting guns at school, making methamphetamines, sexual assault, stalking, and threatening plant workers will also become tougher.
Currently it's a misdemeanor to squeeze your hand around your partner's throat. The new law makes that a felony punishable by two years in prison.
