Ian Calderon, the Democratic majority leader in California’s lower has, wants to take on restaurateurs and STRAWS!
That’s not some weird code… we mean straws! The little plastic things you can drink liquid from.
Calderon has introduced a bill to stop restaurants from giving customers straws at all — only allowing for them to ask for one. Under this potential law, a waiter who gave you a straw in California without you, the customer, asking for it first, could face up to 6 months in jail as well as a fine of up to $1,000.
WE’RE NOT KIDDING!
“We need to create awareness around the issue of one-time use plastic straws and its detrimental effects on our landfills, waterways, and oceans,” Calderon explained in a press release.
Hey now… hey now… he’s not the only one. The cities of both San Luis Obispo and Davis have already passed request-only straw laws just last year.
In fact, Manhattan Beach has a prohibition of sorts on all disposable plastics and soon in Seattle, they won’t even be able to offer plastic straws or eating utensils as early as July.
Though I will concede one point… according to the annual Coastal Cleanup Day over 800,000 straws and stirrers have been collected since 1988. That’s pretty nuts!
“If people are forced not to use straws, then they won’t necessarily see that it’s for the environment,” according to an interviewer to Reason.“They’ll just think it’s just another inconvenience imposed on them by government.”
It’s a pretty oddball move if you ask me but par for the course I guess. They want everything regulated by the government. They want to fine you to death. It makes you hope New California comes to fruition doesn’t it? Let the ultra-libs dig their own hole.
In fact, for the sake of the rest of the state it may need to happen.