Gov. Brown says he's likely to sign plastic bag ban

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - California Gov. Jerry Brown has indicated that he is likely to sign a bill imposing the nation's first statewide ban on single-use plastic bags as a way to address litter.

SB270 is one of the last major bills pending Tuesday, the deadline for the governor to sign or veto hundreds of bills.

The legislation will prohibit large grocery stores from carrying single-use bags starting in July 2015, expanding to smaller stores the year after. It also allows businesses to charge 10-cent fees for customers using paper bags.

More than 100 cities and counties, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, have their own plastic bag bans.

Brown said during a gubernatorial debate earlier this month that he would "probably" sign SB270 because of the patchwork of local regulations regarding plastic bags.