Rebecca Bauer-Kahan

Rule Changes

Former Chair, Water Parks and Wildlife Committee

California closed the loophole on its failed 2014 plastic bag ban and raised its minimum wage to $16.90 on January 1, 2026—the latest moves in a decades-long experiment testing whether aggressive regulation can coexist with economic growth. Many retailers began phasing out plastic bags weeks before the deadline, as Los Angeles-area supermarkets made plastics non grata at checkout in late 2025. The original bag ban backfired spectacularly, increasing plastic waste in landfills by 47% as stores sold thicker 'reusable' bags that nobody reused. Now the state is trying again, banning all plastic bags at checkout.

Updated Jan 30