The New York Daily News reports that New York state lawmakers have proposed a bill prohibiting shoppers from being charged for using plastic bags throughout the state.
This proposal is in response to a law passed by the New York City Council in May, which charges shoppers 5 cents for each plastic bag they use.
“I think it is going to be passed overwhelmingly,” the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Simcha Felder, D-Brooklyn, told the Daily News. “People are stressed enough with everyday life without the city council driving them nuts by nickel-and-diming them.”
Supporters of the fee argue 10 billion plastic bags annually, or 1,700 tons per week, are thrown out in the city. “This is an environmentally conscious action which will ultimately help create a more sustainable city,” City Hall spokesman Raul Contreras told the Daily News regarding the fee on plastic bags. “We have one home, and we should do all we can to ensure that it’s safe for generations to come.”
The state legislature’s bill is expected to be approved Tuesday, June 7, 2016, by the Senate and also is gaining support in the Assembly, according to the Daily News.
“We have some issues with it, and we’ve been in discussions with the city council and the mayor to see if we can kind of push this off to have a better discussion on what to do in the city, but there is concern among the city members,” Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, told the paper.
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