While seven Newton City Councilors have proposed charging consumers a fee for paper bags, a proposal that is gaining traction on Beacon Hill for a state wide plastic bag ban would make any action the council takes now “null and void,” the State House News Service reports (Via Patch)
Under the legislation backed by the committee’s chairs, Lenox Rep. Smitty Pignatelli and Spencer Sen. Anne Gobi, stores would be barred from providing a single-use plastic bag starting Aug. 1, 2019. The bill would not preempt cities and towns from further limiting single-use carryout bags but it would render “null and void” any ordinances or bylaws in place before enactment of the bill.
Newton’s paper bag fee — proposed by Councilors Leary, Norton, Auchincloss, Brousal Glaser, Danberg, Kalis and Markiewicz — has been expected to go before the Programs and Services committee this month.
I urge the Programs & Services committee to vote “no action necessary” on this item. The goal should be to pass state wide legislation and not to add burdensome regulations to our local merchants (and consumers) that would become null and void by next summer if this were to pass.
Our city council has many significant issues before it this year. Let’s devote our collective time and energy to those matters.
Greg, have you read the bill? If passed, it would ban single use plastic bags and paper bags that are not made from recycled paper, and would impose a 10 cent fee per recycled paper bag. And until it does go into effect, Newton’s ordinance would remain in full force and effect. So, if the proposed ordinance passes, nothing will really change except that it will be state law and not just a local ordinance banning single use bags. And Newton keeps the pressure on the legislature to enact a statewide ban. Just sayin’.
@Ted: First, welcome back. Always great to know that a ban can draw old friends out of hibernation!
The State House News Service article reports that bill has since been altered…
Just sayin’
My bad. The State House hasn’t updated the draft version of H2121 yet.
Back to hibernation mode.
When did this war on consumers start, and who started it? Elected officials are really good at taxing consumers and penalizing them for their choice of shopping bags. But can anyone point to a single instance where the City Council has actually stood up for their constituent consumers?
We have giant retailers like Walgreens using deceptive in-store pricing practices in Newton. Other retailers that operate like private clubs, offering discounts to members while overcharging the general public. And a large percentage of retailers who don’t comply with the state law requiring line of sight between consumer and cash register. I would think these things might capture the attention of at least one City Councilor. The problem is that they are more interested in implementing their own agendas, rather than actually looking out for their constituents.
Mike, I’m glad the city council banned plastic bags. I see less of them in trees and along fencelines in my neighborhood. That’s an improvement in our quality of life and I consider it a valuable constituent service.
@Nathan– You have every right to feel the way you do about Newton’s plastic bag ban. Personally, I believe that in most cases educating the public about an issue is a better approach than banning things…
I believe some of the bans the City Council has issued have been foolish and counterproductive. For example, they banned medical marijuana for a time and then reversed themselves, but not before that particular ban triggered a to a two year delay in patients being able to fill their prescriptions in Newton…
Regarding plastic bags specifically, I’m much more comfortable with the State regulating them, as opposed to the City Council.