Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Proposed Plastic Bag Ban Amended, Minimum 5-Cent Charge Deleted
Photo by foldablebags.com via Flickr
()
Photo by foldablebags.com via Flickr
As the opposition began airing messages to the public about the prospect of California banning plastic and other single-use bags, Santa Monica Assemblymember Julia Brownley announced today that she has amended her bill in hopes of gaining broader support. The biggest change is the removal of language that would have charged customers, who did not bring reusable bags, at least five cents for a recycled paper bags made of 40 percent post-consumer material. Now grocers will only be able to charge a price that only reflects the store’s cost of a bag. Shoppers on a food stamp or WIC program will be able to get bags for free.
The American Chemistry Council, which represents the plastic bag industry, recently launched an ad campaign calling the bill a "billion dollar hidden grocery tax."
Additional changes to AB 1998 include retaining in-store plastic bag recycling program, which originally would have been canceled once the ban went into affect, and the creation of a grant and loan program to help keep in-state jobs at "businesses where reusable, durable plastic and non-plastic bags are made," according to Brownley's office.
Support for LAist comes from
The bill must go to the Senate Floor for a vote on Monday or Tuesday. If passed there, it will go back to the Assembly, which approved an earlier version of the bill, for a concurrence vote on the changes. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has already signaled his support for the ban.
It would go into effect in 2012 for supermarkets and large pharmacies and in 2013 for smaller grocery stores, convenience and liquor stores.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance. -
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
-
With California voters facing a decision on redistricting this November, Surf City is poised to join the brewing battle over Congressional voting districts.
Best of LAist