Bag Bill Briefing, Baby!
Okey dokey, artichokies. Here’s what happened at the Assembly Natural Resources Committee vote regarding the two bills that proposed a ban on plastic bags here in L.A. I got good news and bad news, which do you want first?
Let’s do bad first and end on a high note: The committee voted against AB 2829, the bill that would have imposed a mandatory fee of 25 cents on plastic carryout bags, like the bags you get at the grocery store, drug store, etc. This was the bill most strongly support by Heal the Bay, L.A. County and well…us! It was strong, aggressive and proactive, and maybe that was the problem.
The glass is half full news: The committee DID pass the other bill, AB 2058, authored by Assemblymember Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys), which is a good start but a weaker measure as it sets recycling targets to reduce plastic carryout bag pollution, i.e an increase in recycling programs and the number of recycled plastic bags with an eventual, possible, maybe fee of 15 cents if the future targets are not met. Well, ok.
Another up-side, so we hear from our friends at Heal the Bay, is that “the future looks promising for statewide plastic bag legislation; in negotiations surrounding the hearing, Assemblymember Levine agreed to bring on Assemblymembers Davis and Brownley (D-Santa Monica) as joint authors of AB 2058 and to amend the bill to increase the fee from 15 cents to 25 cents. Assemblymember Levine also agreed to streamline the recycling targets and include language in the bill repealing his previous legislation that preempts local governments from placing a fee on plastic carryout bags.”
So it would seem that we can’t have it all in one fell swoop, but it gives us hope that things are slowly changing. There’s just that much more work to do. I love a challenge, don’t you?
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About this blog
Roxanne Kotzman is a Daily News Photo Department veteran of nine years. When she and longtime friend Stacy Long
discovered their love all of all things environmentally responsible, they launched Happy Monkey Planet and jumped head-first into the vibrant eco-community.
Wow, so much to learn! But initially the idea is a pretty simple one: Let's change the world through information, education and action.
Rox & Stacy are a lot like you: ecologically minded but sometimes just plain overwhelmed when charged with the task of making a far-reaching difference in the environment. They have jobs, families, homes, lives and pets.
But what if doing better was a simple as a light-bulb change, a reusable canvas grocery bag, recycling that soda can or a cold-water wash?
These eco-chicks just hope to have a little fun, learn a little more, share a lot of information and maybe make the planet a happier, greener, cleaner place.
I'm all for the 25 cent charge... Heck, make it 50 cents!
Then let people turn in bags for a penny each, like we used to collect coke bottles when we were kids and take them back to the store for 5 cents each.
That way you discourage their use and encourage their collection so they won't end up as litter and they'll get into the recycling system.