Health groups say a new California bill on e-cigarettes does the bidding of Big Tobacco

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Two months after key lawmakers sidetracked a proposed ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products in California, an influential state legislator has quietly introduced a less restrictive measure that some health groups say is designed to protect electronic-cigarette makers.

The new proposal, which also targets marketing to youth, was announced by lawmakers led by Assemblyman Adam Gray, a Merced Democrat whose chairmanship of the powerful Assembly Governmental Organization Committee makes him a gatekeeper for all tobacco-related bills.

At issue is the sale of vaping products with candy, fruit and other flavors, which make them attractive to young people, health groups say. They cite a study