State Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Long Beach, has called for caution before continuing efforts to ban plastic grocery bags in the state.“Before we proceed with banning an entire industry, we should understand the full impact and cost of our actions on our local economy and the hard-working people and families that will be displaced,” Lara said at a press conference Friday at Crown Poly, a local plastic bag manufacturer that employs 300 people.

“Our approach should balance the human, economic and environmental concerns surrounding plastic bags. “California has been a leader in environmentally friendly policy, but taking away consumers’ choice at checkout and placing the jobs of nearly 2,000 California manufacturers and recyclers at risk is a step in the wrong direction,” he added. “I urge my fellow lawmakers to inform themselves of all of the potential outcomes of banning plastic bags.”