Well, I guess one federal ruling can’t keep the states down. Several weeks ago, we saw New York’s Sate Passenger Bill of Rights get thrown out by a federal court. The court, while in agreement with many of the bill’s goals, stated that only the federal government had the right to pass such regulations. That ruling, however, has not stopped California from trying to push through a Passenger Bill of Rights of its own. As reported by the Sacramento Bee, passenger rights legislation was passed by the state Assembly on Thursday and now will move to the state Senate. Keep reading to see how the airlines are reacting…

The bill passed with a vote of 54-16. However, the 16 Assembly members who opposed it are definitely not alone. Should the bill pass in the state Senate, we can expect to see the airlines go after it, just as they went after the bill in New York:

“Dan Hagan, a spokesman for American Airlines, said the firm does not object to providing - and routinely supplies - basic necessities to stranded customers. But he said it cannot support creation of state-by-state standards that invite litigation. ‘People who are engaged in interstate commerce need to be regulated by the federal government,’” he said. (from the Sacramento Bee)

If the bill does pass, we will surely see its validity debated in the courts. Let me know your take on the debate. Should the states take this into their own hands, or will we only see progress if the federal government gets involved?

For a lighter take on the topic, check out “A Passenger Bill of Rights We’d Like to See”