Apparently California lawmakers have enough time on their hands to be grasping at straws...
That is exactly the case. California politicians are far worse than most but this is happening to one degree or another all over. Basically western societies (and many in other areas such as Japan) have basically solved all basic problems. Food, shelter, and medical care are not life threatening concerns as they were centuries ago. So perceived slights such as micro agressions and carbon footprint become mortal sins in the modern age. And politicians have two ways of dealing with such awful problems. Taxation or prohibition. That’s the gamut of political creativity today.
At one extreme, California is inviting CO2-exhaling illegal aliens into the state, allowing aliens to have driver’s licenses so that aliens can legally drive vehicles with much bigger carbon footprints.
On the other hand, California is evidently considering a draconian punishment to limit the use of restaurant straws in the name of questionably significant environmental impact.