Ohio GOP Lawmakers Want to Prohibit Cities from Banning Plastic Bags

The Republican-controlled Ohio House passed a bill Dec. 11 that would prohibit cities and counties from banning retailers’ use of plastic bags.

House Bill 242 would reverse measures already passed by Cuyahoga County (Cleveland area), the Village of Orange (near Cleveland), and the City of Bexley (a Columbus suburb), to restrict retail use of plastic bags to cut down on waste.

While Republican state lawmakers want to rescind those local rights, the municipal governments have the backing of the state’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, who echoes environmentalists’ concerns about plastic bag pollution.

Kroeger

Ohio is home to the country’s largest ...