Congressman Rails Against The "Straw Police" In California

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By  Gwen Ihnat

California Republican Congressman Devin Nunes is apparently not a fan of recent legislation that prohibits servers in the state from asking before handing out straws. As Newsweek reports, the "California bill signed into law in September 2018 aimed at reducing plastic waste," especially in the ocean. But when a waitress asked Nunes' table if they wanted straws, instead of just handing them out, Nunes equated these environmental efforts with "Socialism in California."

Newsweek also notes that "According to the new law, full-service restaurants must not hand out plastic straws unless customers specifically ask for them. It does not constitute an outright ban and does not apply to fast food restaurants or convenience stores." Although many Twitter respondents replied to Nunes that he seemed unclear on the concept of socialism, a followup tweet showed that he wasn't really getting it:

Perhaps Nunes would be more in favor of this recent legislation in Florida, which started out as a straw ban but has now transformed into a ban on straw bans. As the Tampa Bay Times describes it, the new bill "puts a five-year moratorium on local plastic straw bans" while undergoing a study by the Department Of Environmental Policy. But as we already know that plastic straws are not biodegradable and are among the top 10 items most found in beach cleanups, another study might not be as effective as another straw ban would be.

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