CA bill seeks to ban smoking on state beaches

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KABC) -- A bill to ban smoking on California state beaches is making its way through the state legislature again.

A previous attempt hit a roadblock when Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar measure. He feared the ban was an example of government regulation going too far.

"If people can't even smoke on a deserted beach, where can they?" Brown said in his veto message last October. "There must be some limit to the coercive power of government."

Supporters are hoping some changes this time around will win the governor's approval.

"We've lowered the fines. We've created some discretion for park directors to provide designated smoking areas," said state Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda. "And I'm hopeful that those changes will allow the governor to sign these bills when they get to his desk."

Senate Bill 386 is set to be voted on by an appropriations committee in the coming weeks.