Prohibiting single-use plastic bags, letting relatives of mentally ill gun owners temporarily take away their guns and making juvenile sex offenders go to treatment were among controversial legislation signed into law by California Gov. Jerry Brown Tuesday.

Tuesday was the deadline for signing state legislation into law or vetoing the measures. Brown also vetoed 36 measures including many ethics-related bills passed in response to various Sacramento scandals. This was in addition to the August veto of 43 of the thousand bills that were on his desk. The 13 percent veto rate was higher than last year when Brown vetoed 10 percent of passed legislation.

Like Us on Facebook

Environmental groups did well in the latest enactment of laws. The first statewide prohibition on single-use plastic bags found in most grocery stores followed enactment of similar laws by several California cities.

Brown said the plastic bag ban would help reduce "the torrent of plastic" deluging the ocean along with beaches and parks. The bill was carried by state Sens. Alex Padilla of Pacoima and Kevin de Leon of Los Angeles.

The new ban goes into effect July 1, 2015. It outlaws the practice of pharmacies and grocery markets giving out those bags. Convenience stores and liquor outlets have until July, 2016 to comply. The law appropriates $2 million in state funds to help manufacturers of single-use plastic bags to change over to manufacturing bags that can be used multiple times.

Plastic bag manufacturers have rejected the law saying they will fund a referendum attempt to overturn the ban.

As for the other new laws, Brown affirmed measures prohibiting politicians running for statewide offices from hiring relatives and disallowing lobbyists from hosting fundraisers at their homes. He vetoed bills mandating lawmakers reveal who were financing their travel junkets and limiting the kinds of gifts they received from supporters.

The gun control measure was in response to a deadly rampage at UC Santa Barbara when a mentally ill Elliot Rodger killed six people and wounded 13 others. The law says family members can ask a judge to take away guns from mentally unstable relatives. Previously, only a licensed therapist could make that request.

Tagsplastic bags, single-use plastic bags, california law banning single-use plastic bags, Jerry Brown, california laws, mentally ill gun owners, gun control, Ethics