It seems the current economic recession has curtailed the desire for several planned plastic bag bans or tax, according to this article from the New York Times.
The mayor in Portland, Oregon, decided this month to discard his proposal of taxing plastic bags citing the current economic strain faced by people, while another proposal in Virginia also stalled amid resistance from retail groups and bag makers.
The 20-cent fee plastic bag bill proposed in Seattle will now be decided in an election in August, reported New York Times. While there had been several legislative proposals in states like Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, and Virginia, so far no state has yet imposed a fee or a ban.
Last month, Mayor Bloomberg of New York City also proposed a plastic bag fee but it seems that the issue has not come up again as the mayor battles more pressing things...such as trying to maintain his approval rating perhaps?
Today, Colorado lawmakers in the senate rejected a bill that would have ban large retailers' use of plastic bags by 2012 within the state, according to Associated Press.
I voiced my opinions on this in previous comments on this blog. It does not make sense to ban plastic bags and replace them with paper bags, because paper bags do not decompose in landfills either. Additionally, paper bag manufacture consumes more water than making plastic bags.
I think BYOB should stand for bring your own bags. I don't see what the economy has to do with it. It is plain (un)commonsense.