SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The natural resource committee of the California Assembly is scheduled to vote Monday on a bill that would impose a mandatory fee of 25 cents on the distribution of single-use plastic shopping bags at all groceries and pharmacies statewide. The money raised would be directed back to local governments on a per-capita basis for litter prevention and reduction efforts. According to Heal the Bay, an environmental group supporting the measure, the bill would be one of the most aggressive actions by any state legislature to curb the proliferation of plastic bags and limit their negative impacts on the marine environment, local economies and quality of life for millions of citizens. According to Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay, "Along with a ban, a fee-based proposal is the most effective way to help rid our state of its addiction to wasteful, single-use packaging." The proposed bill would amend a state law that forbids municipalities from imposing carryout bag fees by restoring authority to local governments to enact measures designed to reduce pollution.
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