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Environment

Plastic Bag Ban Gets Support Of California Lawmakers

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Three key lawmakers are converging in Ventura California today to unveil a compromise bill to ban single-use plastic bags. California lawmakers widely are expected to approve a measure that has been defeated narrowly twice before.

Plastic Bag Ban Gets Support Of California Lawmakers
California is inching closer to legislation that outlaws single-use plastic bags. Opponents are marshaling forces to hammer out a compromise.

The legislation brings together the idea's biggest backer, state Sen. Alex Padilla, and the ban's two most outspoken legislative opponents, Sens. Kevin de Leon and Ricardo Lara.

The lawmakers agreed to support a prohibition of single-use plastic bags in 2015. The bill would require consumers to pay 10 cents a bag if they come to a store without one. It also includes money to retrain any workers displaced because of the ban.

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Nathan Weaver works for Environment California and he welcomes the compromise. His organization has encouraged cities to adopt local bag bans while the issue was being debated in the legislature.

"We've know for a very long time that plastic bags are quite hard on the environment. They are actually one of the four most common garbage items found on California beaches," Weaver said.

The bag ban is being opposed by San Diego's Neighborhood Market Association and a group of religious leaders from Southeast San Diego.

They argued that the 10 cent a bag fee amounts to a tax on those least able to afford it.