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Statewide Plastic Bag Ban One Step Closer To Becoming Law

Chris Lehman
/
KLCC

A bill that would ban single-use plastic bags at the checkout stand in Oregon is one step closer to becoming law. A legislative committee voted Wednesday to send House Bill 2509 to a vote on the Senate floor.

The measure would ban retail stores from bagging their goods in single-use plastic bags. Customers could bring their own reusable bag, or the store could sell them paper bags at a nickel apiece.

The grocery industry is on board with the measure. Shawn Miller, a lobbyist for the Northwest Grocery Association, noted that nearly a dozen Oregon cities already ban the bags. “This will just keep expanding, and so I think it’s time for us to go ahead and put a statewide policy in place, and we support the bill,” he said.

A lobbyist for companies that manufacture plastic bags testified against the measure. The Senate Rules Committee voted along party lines to advance the bill, with Republicans on the panel coming out against it.

The Oregon House has already approved the bill, so a successful vote in the Senate would send the measure to the governor.

Chris Lehman has been reporting on Oregon issues since 2006. He joined the KLCC news department in December 2018 and became News Director in March 2023. Chris was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and graduated from Temple University with a degree in journalism. His public broadcasting career includes stops in Louisiana and Illinois. Chris has filed for national programs including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.”
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