California’s War on Straws and distorted priorities: Breaking View

Editor’s note: Breaking views are thoughts from individual members of the editorial board on today’s headlines.
On Jan. 18, Assemblyman and Democratic Majority leader Ian Calderon, D-Whittier, announced legislation making it a criminal offense for restaurants to provide straws to customers before being asked for them.
Under Calderon’s legislation, unprompted straw dispensing would be punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a fine up to $1000.
In this scheme, the dividing