johnnymk

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,3284830.story

A proposed ban on helium-filled foil balloons lost altitude in the state Legislature on Wednesday amid growing opposition from florists, party decorators and other professionals.

The proposal's chief supporter, Sen. Jack Scott (D-Altadena), withdrew plans for an outright ban and instead proposed a compromise that would reinforce a state law requiring weights and warnings on helium-filled metallic balloons. His new plan would raise the penalty to $250 from $100 for each violation of the law, whose goal is to curb power outages that can result when such balloons are released and come in contact with power lines.

Speaking Wednesday before the Assembly Committee on Appropriations, Scott also included a provision calling on the University of California to conduct a privately funded study to find an alternative to the foil balloon, made from a tough polyester film known as Mylar or other kinds of metalized substances.

"I realized we had made our point that these metal balloons do represent a danger in terms of causing power outages," Scott said. "The biggest problem is the economic impact it would have on the sale of balloons."

Opponents of the bill said a ban would cripple businesses that sell an estimated $100 million in foil balloons and would cost the state $80 million a year in sales tax revenue, based on the nearly $1 billion in sales associated with foil balloons, such as flower arrangements and party supplies.

In 1990, California became the first state to regulate foil balloons by requiring vendors to attach them to weights. Utilities blame the metallic balloons for hundreds of power outages each year in California by short-circuiting power lines.

Under the amended legislation, toys and candy could no longer be used as weights because children are likely to remove them and let their balloons escape, Scott said. Balloon vendors would have to warn customers of the dangers posed by releasing a foil balloon.

The proposed UC study would be paid for by state utilities and the Balloon Council, an organization of balloon manufacturers, distributors and retailers. Any effort to find a replacement for the shiny and metallic material wouldn't receive state funds.

For the balloon industry, the development was a huge win.

"It was a compromise deal that we're happy with," said lobbyist Shane Gusman, who represents the Balloon Council, the ban's biggest opponent. "It no longer completely outlaws a product that people like and brings a lot of revenue to the state."

Since February, the bill has worked its way through the Legislature and now awaits further consideration by the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't taken a position on the bill.

Jcranmer

Good to know all the important issues in this country have been solved, and now we can concentrate on things like this.

The Happy Squirrel

in all honesty this thread and the fact that this is an actually a matter being discussed in todays goverment make me wnat to go ut and drop an entire paycheck on helium balloons and drive around letting them go under power lines just to "test" the theory. come on, what the F is wrong with our goverment that we are concentrating on this, whatever i need to be done before this turns into anotehr squirrel rant <havent had ne of those in a while>

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Lion face / lemon face!

clutchy

if you listened to KFI, in LA this was a huge deal... basically this jack scott guy gave a last hoorah and got this filth passed through somehow when it had failed miserably earlier.

The absurdity that these balloons are causing power outages is more than absurd. I think they did a study and they couldn't link balloons to anything. They mentioned that sometimes when they can't find a reason they put down "balloon"

the very fact that they would intentionally try to destroy people's livelihoods for nothing but mere speculation is a travest.

hang em high! w/ balloon string.

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LK was treated unfairly

thanks X

VTGreg

What I don't understand is calling on the University of California to conduct a privately funded study to find an alternative. Cal being a public institution would mean that this wasn't privately funded right?

This legislation is a good example of everything that is wrong with government today.

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chrissy

VTGreg, it sounds more like a job for mythbusters - they would not only bust it, but then try to see if they could make a balloon out of somthing to cause the said outages.


And all in the name of ratings and fun and science

clutchy

california is a land of absurd rule making...

i can't talk on my cell phone in my car anymore w/o a headset... wth does the damn headset matter?

it's ridiculous.

i can turn on my speakerphone and it's ok.

i can text while driving and that's ok


just no phone to ear...