Just over a year ago, the state of California banned grocery stores from giving away single use plastic bags. The goal was to reduce the amount of plastic that made it out into the environment. Now, California lawmakers are considering making it a crime for dine-in restaurant waiters to give out plastic straws.

This new law was proposed by Assemblyman Ian Calderon this January, and since then it has received a lot of criticism. The many reason for this, is the fact that the bill calls on any waiter caught giving plastic straws to customers who didn’t ask for them to be fined $1,000 and face up to 6 months in jail. This would be a misdemeanor offense, and it is a pretty hefty penalty for handing out straws.

Of course, the goal of the law is a good one...