As Sacramento County Plastic Bag Ban Begins, Voters Consider Statewide Ban

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Voters will get a chance to decide whether to uphold a statewide plastic bag ban signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2014.

But now a second bag measure has qualified for the November ballot that's causing a bit of confusion.

Starting on Friday, shoppers in the unincorporated areas of Sacramento County will be under the county's bag ban. It joins the city of Sacramento and other places who have already taken up those measures.

A statewide ban in California was signed by Brown in 2014, but it was challenged by a bag manufacturing group that submitted nearly 600,000 signatures, pushing the ban to the ballot in November.

A second measure has joined the ballot that environmental groups are calling an effort to confuse voters. That measure would mean money spent on reusable bags wouldn't go to the store that sold it.

The American Progressive Bag Alliance released a statement saying: "The measure gives voters the opportunity to make sure that any state-mandated fee will go to environmental causes, which is what voters thought they were getting in the first place with SB 270."

A spokeswoman for Raley's told CBS13 redirecting the bag fee could negatively affect the stores that collect them.

"Our goal is to create environmentally sound policies that encourage a positive change in behavior with plastic bags," said Chelsea Minor.

Those backing the bag ban say the second measure was also meant to cause a divide between supporters of the bans.