Manhattan Beach will continue to pursue a ban on plastic bags, even if a bill to outlaw the point-of-sale plastic sacks fails to pass the state legislature, city officials announced Thursday.
AB 1998, or the "Bag Ban Bill," is expected to be voted on by the full senate at the end of August. If signed into law, it would make California the first state to ban the distribution of plastic bags at supermarkets.
City officials said the ban is needed to protect the city's coastline and local waters.
In July 2008, Manhattan Beach was sued by the Save the Bag Coalition after passing an ordinance to ban plastic bags. The group argued the city violated the state Environmental Quality Act by not fully analyzing the ban's effects.
The lawsuit is expected to be heard by the California Supreme Court in 2011.
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