California Lawmakers Aim to Ban All Plastic Bags After Single-Use Ban Fails

California legislators are moving ahead with plans to ban all plastic bags–including reusable ones–in an ongoing effort to fight oil companies and cut down on plastic waste. The state’s voters approved the first plastic bag ban in 2016 by passing Proposition 67, banning single-use bags at grocery stores, convenience stores, and other retailers. The law, however, continued to allow stores to hand out thicker reusable plastic bags, which lawmakers say contribute to pollution. The bags are also made of fossil fuels, including petroleum, which state Democrats want to eliminate as part of their fast-tracked climate agenda. To close this loophole, legislators seek to pass two identical bills—Assembly Bill 2236 and Senate Bill 1053, prohibiting the use of all plastic bags. The measures passed their original chambers this month and now face approvals in the opposite chambers of the Legislature....