Tag Archives: California State Water Resources Control Board

Why You Should Oppose Bag Bans

English: Ten Mile River (California), looking ...
English: Ten Mile River (California), looking northward from California State Route 1 as it crosses near the mouth of the river. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some people welcome a ban on plastic carryout bags, others are opposed, and others are not sure. This article is intended for those of you who are in between and unsure whether you should oppose or support a bag ban.

With as much that goes on in the world today that vies for our attention, getting excited about plastic grocery bags (i.e. plastic carryout bags) is certainly not high on the totem pole. We live in a topsy–turvy world where things that were once banned are allowed (e.g. marijuana) and things that were once allowed are now banned (e.g. plastic carryout bags).

So how can we approach this subject in a fair and impartial manner? How can we determine if we should support or oppose a bag ban? We know that when the legislature or a local jurisdiction passes a law they are trying to solve a perceived problem. So the answer to the question is to understand the nature of the problem and how the proposed solution or law intends to solve that problem and most important what alternative solutions were considered. The more clearly we understand this the better we can see how our personal freedom and liberties are affected and whether that intrusion is warranted and justified.

The purpose of this paper is not to provide a detailed explanation of the problem and the solution (e.g. plastic bag ban) but a philosophical argument about why or why not bag bans should be opposed.

Click on the following link to read the entire article:  Why You Should Oppose Bag Bans

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Referendum Puts Bag Banners on Defensive

Benjamin Franklin 1767
Benjamin Franklin 1767 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

On September 30, 2014, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation, SB-270 (Padilla) that will implement the nation’s first statewide ban on the distribution of single-use plastic bags; the plastic bags that customers use to carry their groceries home. (Press Secretary, 2014)

The American Progressive Bag Alliance (APBA), opposed to Governor Jerry Brown’s decision to sign SB-270 (Padilla) into law, immediately filed the necessary legal paperwork to conduct a referendum in an attempt to overturn the new law. (American Progressive Bag Alliance, 2014)

Subsequently, on 10 October 2014, California Secretary of State, Debra Bowen announced that the proponent of the referendum may begin gathering signatures. The proponent must collect a total of 504,760 valid signatures from registered voters which must be submitted by December 29, 2014 to county election officials. If sufficient valid signatures are obtained, the measure would qualify for the November 2016 ballot. At that time a majority of voters will have the opportunity to affirm or reject the ban on plastic bags. (Bowen, 2014) Continue reading Referendum Puts Bag Banners on Defensive