Container Fee Bill Tabled

At the urging of the governor, State Sen. Alan Lowenthal’s controversial container-fee bill has been tabled until next year.

Saying the measure is incomplete and lacks accountability, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had previously threatened to veto Senate Bill 974, which would impose a $30 fee on all 20-foot containers moving through the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Oakland.

The money would be used to support environmental initiatives at the ports, but the bill has drawn criticism from businesses who say they would be unfairly taxed in the process.

Schwarzenegger issued a statement saying he wants to find a compromise with the Long Beach Democrat, who has brought several similar bills to the Senate floor in previous years.

“I support the concept of SB 974 and want to work together with Sen. Lowenthal on the bill so it addresses the future of goods movement while also reducing environmental impacts,” Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement. “I look forward to working during the fall recess with the senator, his fellow legislators and all interested parties to craft a solution that will protect California's air quality and also facilitate the goods movement through California.”

Source: Los Angeles Business Journal
September 5, 2007

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