Californians Will Vote on Two Plastic Bag Ballot Measures

This post is a collaboration between Countable and our partners at CALmatters. In 2014, the California legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown (D) enacted a law that banned thin, single-use plastic grocery bags, while letting retailers charge a dime for paper or heavy-duty plastic carryout bags. But the law hasn’t fully taken effect yet, so voters will have a chance this November to determine whether those bag fees should remain with retailers or go to a state wildlife fund.

The statewide ban on plastic bags was supposed to take effect on July 1, 2015, but the plastics industry took advantage of a constitutional provision that allows a popular vote on a law before it takes effect to bring this question to voters.

What the Propositions Do

Proposition 65 would require that shopping bag fees be put into an environmental fund administered by the state Wildlife Conservation Board, instead of allowing retailers to keep the money.

Proposition 67 would uphold the legislature’s decision to ban single-use plastic bags and allowed retailers to charge 10 cents for carryout bags and keep the money.

Because these two measures can’t both become law, if both pass the proposition with the most votes in favor would prevail.

These propositions will appear on California ballots November 8 as "Proposition 65" and “Proposition 67.”

What the Plastic Industry Says (No on 67, Yes on 65)

Prop. 67 unfairly targets plastic, an inexpensive, versatile material that is convenient for shoppers. Banning plastic bags will do little to help the environment.

Prop. 65 puts money from shopping bag fees into projects that benefit the environment rather than corporate grocery chain profits.

What Grocers and Environmental Groups Say (Yes on 67, No on 65)

Prop. 67 upholds the legislature’s decision to create one statewide policy on plastic bags, which were banned because they threaten marine wildlife, pollute oceans, litter streets and damage recycling equipment.

Prop. 65 was put on the ballot by the plastic industry to confuse voters and penalize grocery stores for supporting the bag ban.

In Depth

While such bans have become relatively common at the city or county level, California was the first to pass a statewide ban (although the District of Columbia and all of Hawaii’s counties have adopted similar measures). According to CALmatters, more than 150 communities in California have banned flimsy plastic shopping bags, blaming them for problems such as choking wildlife and damaging municipal waste systems.

Read more at CALmatters.