Bag ban

Assembly Bill 298, a bill to ban plastic bags, is slowly making its way through the state Assembly. After passing through the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on July 2, it will now make its way to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Assemblywoman Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) introduced A.B. 298 in 2011. If signed into law, the bill will prohibit stores from distributing single-use plastic bags, which often make their way into the ocean and landfills. There are already 49 cities—covering about 28 percent of the state’s population—that currently ban plastic bags, according to environmental advocacy organization Environment California.