California lawmaker Ian Calderon introduced a bill making it illegal for servers in restaurants to provide straws unless asked.
Calderon pointed to environmental reports stating that 500 million single-use plastic straws are discarded daily, contributing to massive amounts of harmful plastics on land, waterways and in oceans.
AB 1884 attempts to prevent servers at restaurants from "providing single-use plastic straws to consumers unless requested by the consumer," with violators potentially facing misdemeanor charges, a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.
After immediate criticism -- largely focused on penalties imposed by the straw legislation -- Calderon said the bill will be amended to eliminate the penalties.