House: No bans on plastic grocery bags

A rewrite this evening of a presumed-dead recycling bill would pre-empt cities and counties from banning the use of plastic bags as San Francisco did, at least until a state study is done by February 2010. That means no stopping the use of plastic grocery bags, newspaper bags, even drycleaning bags -- giving a nod to the interests pushing the protection: Publix and other supermarkets, retailers and Associated Industries.

But the bill's emergence had the original bill's sponsor, Rep. Janet Long, D-Seminole, befuddled before the hastily called meeting of the Environment and Natural Resources Council. So Chairman Stan Mayfield, R-Vero Beach, changed gears, agreeing to merely amend the bill to the current Senate version in a quick session.

As early as Friday, Mayfield said the House will consider protecting plastic bags when debate happens on the floor, prompted by proposals in Miami-Dade and Sarasota counties to go paper-only. But already, Rep. Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg, has removed his name as a co-sponsor of the bill.

"It benefits anybody that's in a business that uses plastic bags," Mayfield said, adding lawmakers wanted to avoid a patchwork of regulations that hurt companies.

Comments

[Mary]

Wow! Let's see the issues we have dealt with this term: Baggie pants; state song; ball ornaments; guns at work; unused food; plastic bags.

Whew! Charlie and you legislators must be tired! Tell you what..how about we let you guys go home and stop paying for this futile exercise you legislators call "work."

Thanks for all the wasted money on those special sessions too. Nice job! Maybe if you worked on the priorities of this state instead of things like bull testicle ornaments, we would not have to pay for so many special sessions.

Destractions, destractions, destractions!!!

Who owns the land that the State is giving CSX $700 million dollars to purchase???

What has Rubio's friend promised him in order to get a $265 million contract???

What did St. Joe Paper Company do in return for the state dollars to build the Panama City airport?

Who benefits when the Legislature refuses to fix the property insurance problem?

Why is it important to the Republican leadership not to tax cigarettes $1.00 a pack when that would raise a billion dollars and reduce smoking by kids?

Why is Rubio, Pruitt, Webster, Posey, Hasner, and Sanson to keep sky boxes, charter boats, private rail road cars, and race horses tax free?

Who benefits when ACHA doesn't inspect nursing homes?

Inquiring minds want to know????

Nice set of balls on Kriseman.

KUDOS to Kriseman for taking his name off this bill designed to help industry at the expense of the environment and good local ordinances.

And shame on Janet. Shame on Publix.

I'm sure it wasn't easy for Kriseman to abandon Long on this one as they are friends in the same delegation. But it was the right move.

YOU CANT GO WRONG WITH LONG?

[Tom]

I would like to see the supermarkets voluntarily stop placing any plastic bottle with a handle in a plastic bag. By this I mean they would stop placing all gallon and half gallon milk bottles, bleach bottles, many laundry detergent bottles etc. in plastic bags. I think this will lower our demand for oil and reduce problems in other areas. Also I find it hard to carry a plastic gallon of anything in a plastic bag. I know I can tell the bagger not to put the item in the bag, but most often I don't pay attention to the bagging operation as I am more concerned with the correct price or double ringing or conversing with someone.

[Omega83]

Come on people, this is getting ridiculous. Let the market work it out.

You limit plastic bags and people use paper. Paper = trees. Counterproductive to the environment as well. Canvas is OK, but then you have to wash it, so there's water use and detergents in the water.

Wal-mart has started telling its distributors to package smaller. Why? Not for "greenness" but because freight costs are higher for heavier goods.

The cities need to stop acting like this is a Nanny State. Stop telling me what lifestyle to have in the name of being Green or Healthy. You do-gooders aren't sensitive, you're intolerant!

Why don't the cities mandate recycling of these items - here in Tallahassee you cannot recycle Publix's plastic bags, you need to take them back to the store and Concord Cleaners has a place to return their bags - but at least they offer that option.

Thank you Rick Kriseman

[rjm]

"Destractions, destractions, destractions!!!"

Inquiring minds would like to know where your education is from. Seriously, that kind of ruined your entire post.

so, the silly war on plastic bags has hit florida - great, we'll just chop down more trees so that we can bag everything in paper bags - how's that you ignorant greenie weenies?

oh, and the study about environmental "dangers" of plastic bags was flawed when it was released, but oh sorry to try and confuse you weenies with the facts