Proposed Bill To Weaken Plastic Bag Ban Tabled By Baltimore County Council

BALTIMORE COUNTY - On Tuesday evening, the Baltimore County Council voted to table a proposed bill aiming to eliminate the upcoming 5-cent fee for reusable bags at various establishments, including restaurants and grocery outlets. The bill would also have wholly exempted liquor stores from the bag ban.

In a 6-1 decision, the council voted to table Bill No. 53-23, proposed on August 7 by Councilman Todd Crandell. The motion to delay the bill was initiated by Councilman Patrick Young, who expressed that he wanted more time to consider potential modifications to the existing law, which bans single-use plastic bags at many businesses and imposes a 5-cent fee for reusable or paper bags.

Crandell has stated that his proposal aims to correct what he views as shortcomings in the initial law, arguing that liquor stores benefit more from plastic bags than paper or reusable ones.

At Tuesday's meeting, Young invited Crandell to collaborate with the original five council members who supported the bag fee legislation to make necessary adjustments before its implementation.

Councilman Wade Kach contended that modifying the law this late in the process would confuse the business community.

"I just think that it'd be smart for us to wait until we hear comments from the public once the bill is in effect and then act accordingly," Kach said.

The Bring Your Own Bag Act is set to go into effect on November 1, 2023.