Local efforts to address the environmental concerns of plastic bag use in Washtenaw County just took a giant step backwards in Lansing.
The WashtenawCounty Commissionhas been working on a plan for awhile now to try and reduce the usage of plastic bags in the county. But those efforts will be overridden by abilljust approved by the state Senate. The Senate voted 25-12, mostly along party lines, to keep local communities from regulating the use of plastic bags.
Local officials have determined plastic bags are a solid waste problem for our area and are jamming equipment at the local recycling facility and blowing around at local landfills.
The bill now heads to the state House and, if approved, would have to be signed by the governor to become law.
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— Lisa Barry is the host of All Things Considered on WEMU. You can contact Lisa at734.487.3363, on Twitter @LisaWEMU, or email her at lbarryma@emich.edu