The Baltimore City Council voted a 13-1 approval to ban on retailers’ use of plastic bags on Monday. The ban needs one more vote, at the council’s Nov. 18 meeting, to advance to the desk of Democratic Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young. “I am extremely optimistic about its passage,” said Henry, adding that Young has pledged to sign the bill or allow it to take effect without his signature.
Retailers would keep 4 cents from the fee for each alternative bag they supply, such as a paper bag, with a penny going to city coffers. The bill would ban plastic bags with a thickness of less than four-thousandths of an inch. The amendment by Henry deleted language about bags that can be reused; Henry sought the change because he said some bag manufacturers claim even their thin bags can be reused. The amendment passed on an 8-5 vote.