Two Thumbs Up For California’s Bare Hand Ban Repeal

Foodies of California, rejoice:
The state senate just passed a bill to ensure that bartenders,
sushi chefs, and others can legally prepare food like normal
people. That is, without wearing gloves.

The Associated Press
reports
that
A.B. 2130
this afternoon “passed its final legislative hurdle…
with a 32-0 vote” and is “now heading to the California governor’s
office” to be signed into law.

Why was this little piece of legislation necessary? Last year
California’s very same public servants, in both the senate and
assembly,
unanimously voted in favor
of a
“glove law”
to require those who handle ready-to-eat foods to
wear gloves or use tongs – or else face misdemeanor charges. The
new law, which instead simply requires people to “minimize bare
hand and arm contact with nonprepackaged food” will be
implemented on July 1, the same day the old one was supposed to
take full effect.

Like so many other regulations, the glove law seemed perfectly
reasonable until closely inspected.

“This law, which seems to be really focused on the Subways and
Chipotles of the market, now affects your most well-trained and
experienced chefs who have mastered their craft and have never had
any issue,” Jordan Bernstein, a Los Angeles-based attorney at
Michelman and Robinson who represents some of California’s top
chefs and eateries
told
Reason TV earlier this year. “They’ve been using their
hands for 30 years and now this really throws them for a loop.”
Likewise, bartenders would have had to wear the goofy gloves just
to garnish a bloody mary.

The glove law had
loopholes
, but created a regulatory headache to obtain the
proper approval to make food without some latex in the
way. 

“We want laws that promote public health, not a deterrent for
business. … I am committed to working with the restaurant
community to roll back the glove law so we can move [toward]
meaningful conversation on food safety,”
said
Assemblyman Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), who introduced the
repeal.

Watch Reason TV’s coverage of the glove law mess here:

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