Sept 5 - Gov Brown Says "Will Probably" Sign First Statewide Bill to Ban Bags

Yesterday evening, during a spirited gubernatorial debate, Governor Jerry Brown said that he plans to sign the plastic bag bill, SB 270, into law.

He was asked about the measure, which is the first in the nation approved by any State Legislature, during the televised debate against his opponent, Republican Neel Kashkari.

His response, "I will probably sign it...In fact, I'll tell you why I'm going to sign it...There are about 50 cities with their own plastic bag ban, and that's causing a lot of confusion." In fact, there are closer to 125 cities or counties with an adopted ban, and 92 of them have already been implemented to cover a third of the state.

Governor Brown also added, "This is a compromise...taking into account the needs of the environment, and the needs of the economy, and the needs of the grocers."

We applaud Governor Brown for recognizing that SB 270 is a win for the environment and the economy, while creating a uniform solution in grocery stores across the rest of the state.

But we also know that the industry is pulling out all the stops to keep this bill from becoming law. Please take action here and urge the Governor to sign SB 270.

Photo credit: Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press