Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

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January 20, 2011

Delegate: Not the right time for plastic bag tax

KATE COIL Bluefield Daily Telegraph

CHARLESTON — A McDowell County delegate believes now is not the right time to introduce a piece of legislation regarding a tax on plastic shopping bags he currently co-sponsors.

 West Virginia House Bill 2136 or the Plastic Shopping Bag Excise Tax would require grocery stores, drug stores, and convenience stores to pay a 5-cent tax on every plastic shopping bag they provided to customers. However, the bill specifically states the tax “may not be passed on to the customer, but shall bet he sole responsibility” of each store.

The bill was introduced as a way to encourage stores and customers to utilize reusable canvas shopping bags, according to Delegate Clif Moore, D-McDowell, who sponsored the bill originally.

However, Moore said is not the time for the bill to be introduced, considering the current economic situation. Moore said he signed on to sponsor the bill before the recession took affect.

“It’s important because, as a country, we need to be greener and cleaner,” Moore said. “However, I do not think the time is right to introduce and pass this bill. It’s politically unwise and economically imprudent to pass this bill with so many American’s and West Virginian’s under an economic crunch.”

As of Jan. 12, the bill was introduced to the West Virginia House and then remanded to the House Finance Committee for review. The bill is still pending in committee.

Moore did not know the bill had been introduced as part of the 2011 legislative session.

“I do not know if it had been introduced.” Moore said. “I don’t know it’s current status. I cosponsored the bill, but it’s been around for a couple of years. It is the wrong time for this bill to be introduced by a southern West Virginia standpoint. I haven’t heard anything more on it.” Moore also responded to allegations by some that reusable shopping bags are more dangerous than plastic bags. Some researchers indicate low-quality reusable bags may contain traces of lead.

“I’m not aware of any of the reusable bags containing lead,” Moore said. “I do know they provide canvas bags that are made of 100 percent recycled material and are absolutely lead free. I wish more people would use these canvas bags.”

Moore’s co-sponsors for the bill are Delegate John Doyle, D-Jeffeerson, and Delegate Bonnie Brown, D-Kanawha.

If passed, the bill aims to take affect on July 1, 2011.

— Contact Kate Coil at kcoil@bdtonline.com

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