Gov. Brown Vetoes Bill That Would Crackdown on Mylar Balloons

Gov. Jerry Brown is vetoing a proposal to crack down on people using Mylar balloons. Assemblyman Bill Quirk sponsored the bill, which would have made it illegal to intentionally release Mylar balloons. PG&E says metallic balloons hitting electric lines have caused about 130 power outages this year, disrupting service for more than 76,000 customers in the process. Cal Fire says a cluster of Mylar balloons caused an 11,000 acre fire in 2013 as well as a 75 acre fire in 2015. The bill called for a $100 fine for releasing a balloon, which some called excessive. Gov. Brown says he vetoed the bill because “criminal penalties are not the solution to every problem.” /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}