Plastic bag ban headed for approval in Calif.
By Jessica Calefati, San Jose Mercury News
SACRAMENTO — A bill that would ban single-use plastic grocery bags statewide — something California lawmakers have tried and failed to do more than a dozen times before — won approval from the state Assembly on Thursday after failing on the floor earlier this week.
The bill — which would make California the first state in the nation to ban the flimsy bags — still needs Senate approval, but is widely expected to pass in that chamber.
Touted by environmentalists as a way to reduce a pesky form of litter that pollutes the Pacific Ocean, the proposal has faced intense opposition from plastic and paper bag manufacturers who have been working hard to kill the bill.
Earlier this year, debate on the measure centered on jobs and the environment, but in recent days, criticism of the proposal became all about the 10-cent fee stores must charge for paper and thicker plastic bags under the bill.