Bakersfield consumers could wind up paying 25 cents per bag when they visit the grocery store. A proposed bill by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine would impose the fee on all disposable bags, paper or plastic.

"It's not fair," said shopper Sylvia Vargas as she was entering Green Frog Market in northeast Bakersfield. "Twenty-five cents is pretty high."

This is but the latest in a series of attempts aimed at curbing the use of disposable bags, especially plastic. Proponents of the bill claim disposable bags - plastic in particular - are disastrous for the environment. If passed, stores would get 5 cents to 10 cents of any bag fees collected. The balance would go to the state for a litter clean up fund.

If the fee is imposed, shoppers said they may consider using reusable bags instead of having to pay the extra fee. Green Frog Market owner Scot Hair said the fee is another tax on customers and doesn't address the real issue of plastic bags.

"If they're really going to look at a solution on how to solve this, they need to find ways to make it convenient and cost effective for people to get that plastic bag and recycle it," Hair said.

If approved, the bill would go into effect in January 2010.