Oropeza Bill Deals With Hunger and Waste

State Senator Jenny Oropeza is one of the highest ranking Latinos in the Legislature and serves as chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

This week, Sen. Oropeza introduced legislation that will divert edible leftovers from catered event to food banks. Foodbanks, those struggling financially are expected to benefit from Sen. Oropeza’s efforts to allow customers to donate food .

In an effort to raise public awareness about the amount of edible food going to landfills while more and more people face financial hardship, Sen. Jenny Oropeza on Wednesday introduced a bill intended to decrease the amount of consumable food that is discarded after catered events.

“There simply is too much perfectly good food being wasted in California,” Oropeza said about Senate Bill . “Sadly, too many people are struggling financially and going to bed hungry. This is especially tragic during the holidays.”

Records show that nearly 6 million tons of food was discarded in state landfills, making food the biggest, single source of waste in those landfills, according to a 2004 study by the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Oropeza, D-Long Beach, introduced a similar bill last session. For 2009, she hopes to work closely with industry officials to hammer out a measure that benefits the needy while protecting businesses.

Ray Sotero, communications director for the senator, told the Long Beach Press-Telegram that SB 35 is a modified version of a bill that Sen. Oropeza introduced during the last legislative session.

"That bill would have diverted unused foods from restaurants, but the restaurant lobby took a position against it, and the bill failed to gain traction.

SB 35 was written in general language with the hope that terms could be hashed out among legislators, Sotero said.

"The goal is still the same - to make it easier for customers of catered events to donate food," he said."

Elected to the Assembly in 2000 and the Senate in 2006, Jenny Oropeza is one of the highest-ranking Latinos in the Legislature and chairs the Senate Democratic Caucus. For more, visit www.senate.ca.gov/oropeza

Comments

Posted by: Jay Gould at December 14, 2008 09:26 AM

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