SW21:038
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2021
CONTACT:
SOS Press Office
(916) 653-6575
New Measure Eligible for California’s November 2022 Ballot
Requires State Regulations to Reduce Plastic Waste, Tax Producers of Single-Use Plastics, and Fund Recycling and Environmental Programs. Initiative Statute.
SACRAMENTO, CA – Secretary of State Shirley Weber announced that an initiative became eligible for the November 8, 2022 General Election ballot today.
In order to become eligible for the ballot, the initiative needed 623,212 valid petition signatures, which is equal to eight percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2018 General Election. The initiative exceeded that threshold yesterday.
The Attorney General's official title and summary of the measure is as follows:
REQUIRES STATE REGULATIONS TO REDUCE PLASTIC WASTE, TAX PRODUCERS OF SINGLE-USE PLASTICS, AND FUND RECYCLING AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS. INITIATIVE STATUTE. Requires CalRecycle to adopt regulations reducing plastic waste, including to: (1) require that single-use plastic packaging, containers, and utensils be reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and to reduce such waste by 25%, by 2030; (2) prohibit polystyrene container use by food vendors; and (3) tax producers of single-use plastic packaging, containers, or utensils by January 1, 2022, and allocate revenues for recycling and environmental programs, including local water supply protection. Prohibits Legislature from reducing funding to specified state environmental agencies below 2019 levels. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: State revenue from new tax on single-use plastic packaging and foodware likely in the range of a few billion dollars annually. Revenues would be used to administer and implement programs intended to reduce waste, increase recycling, and restore habitats. Unknown net effect on local governments. There would likely be increased costs for waste collecting and sorting which might be partially or fully offset by new tax revenue, payments from producers to support recycling, or lower costs associated with a reduction in total plastic waste collected. (19-0028A1.)
The proponents of the measure are Michael J. Sangiacomo, Caryl Hart, and Linda Escalante. The proponents can be reached c/o Emily A. Andrews of Olson Remcho, LLP at (916) 442-2952. The address for Olson Remcho, LLP is 555 Capitol Mall, Suite 400, Sacramento, CA 95814.
For more information about how an initiative qualifies for the ballot in California, visit https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-measures/how-qualify-initiative/.
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