Washington lawmakers pushing for reusable bag bill
SEATTLE (AP) - Washington state leaders are calling for a new way to limit the use of plastic bags.
KIRO-TV reports that a new bill being announced Wednesday morning in Seattle would put a 2-cent tax on each single-use plastic bag used across the state.
"It causes so much environmental damage to have that limited impact really on our daily lives when there is so much opportunities to use alternatives," said 21st Legislative District Representative Strom Peterson.
Currently, 19 cities in Washington have plastic bag bans in place, including Seattle, Tacoma and Edmonds. Kenmore most recently approved a ban that takes effect on Jan. 1.
Whether those cities would be affected by the legislation and the details of which bags would be taxed are not yet known.
Lawmakers tried to pass a tax on plastic bags in the last legislative session, but it failed.
The bill would be introduced in 2019 Washington legislative session with the aim of reducing plastic pollution in the state.
