Plastic grocery bags could see ban in stores statewide

In what has been deemed the California Plastic Bag Ban Veto Referendum, otherwise known as Proposition 67, will initiate the process to ban all plastic grocery bags in California if the proposition is voted in with a majority “yes” vote.

If passed, California will become the first state to ban single-use plastic grocery bags across the country while allowing for the usage of re-usable bags to take its place. This has been a underlying development within the state since 2007, when San Francisco became the first jurisdiction to outlaw single-use plastic grocery bags within the immediate area.

Perhaps the most change-worthy element from the proposition are the relatively minor implications of the fiscal impact from the stores being mandated to sell re-usable bags. Proposition 67 will also include capital allocation to stores to use their revenue to cover compliance costs, fees related to providing customers with recycled paper or reused bags and providing educational pamphlets and materials that delve into the new law.

Many pro Prop. 67 voters have claimed that supporters against the introduced proposition are in favor of out-of-state companies that invest in plastic products that are used in grocery stores.

Contrarily, their main claim has been that the introduced law will not hinder low-income families or jobs.