California may soon ban the use of plastic bags in grocery stores

True to its reputation of being environmentally conscious, California is hoping to become the first state to ban the use of plastic bags in grocery stores. There are already a few local governments in the United States that have enacted bans on the use of plastic bags in grocery stores, however, no state government has enacted such a ban.

The California Senate voted 22-15 for a bill that will prevent grocery stores from providing free plastic bags to customers. Customers must either bring their own bags, or pay at least $0.10 for paper or reusable bags. Governor Jerry Brown, who has not signaled a position on the measure, has until the end of September to sign the bill into law.

“Single-use plastic bags not only litter our beaches, but also our mountains, our deserts, and our rivers, streams and lakes,” said state Senator Alex Padilla, who sponsored the bill.

Senator Padilla backed a similar measure last year that dialed by three votes. It appeared as if this most recent bill would suffer the same fate after it fell three votes short in the state’s Assembly on Monday. However, thanks to the support of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the bill passed a second vote in the Assembly.

Read more about the story at The Wall Street Journal.

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