Missouri lawmakers are locked in a debate about disposable plastic bags.
A bill is floating around in the state legislature that would
ban the use and distribution of disposable, single-use, non-recyclable plastic
bags.
As this legislation moves through the general assembly, many
have expressed their concerns about these regulations limiting business owners’
choices. Among these lawmakers is Dan Shaul, a Missouri state representative
and state director of the Missouri Grocers Association.
“I think what it does is prevents the retailer or the business
from meeting the needs of the consumer,” says Rep. Shaul. “It’s the
government’s influence on business. I think businesses should decide what they
want to offer customers and customers can vote on that using their wallets.”
The bill would allow cities and counties to fine retailers for
each day they violate the law and not place a ban on plastic bags.
In response to this bill, Rep. Shaul put forth his own
preemptive bill. Shaul’s House Bill 722 states that, “no political subdivision
shall impose any ban, fee or tax upon the use of either paper or plastic bags
for packaging of any item or good purchased from a merchant, itinerant vendor
or peddler.
“I think it’s people’s choice,” Shaul says. “Some people prefer
paper, some prefer plastic and some prefer reusable [bags]. I don’t think it’s
right that government makes that decision for you.”
NFIB’s position is in line with Shaul’s sentiment.
“From the NFIB standpoint, it’s just a matter of choice,” says
Missouri NFIB State Director Brad Jones. “I think a small business ought to be
able to figure out what works best for them as far as the distribution of their
products.”
Columbia, Missouri, has considered its own 10-cent fee for each
plastic bag used by consumers. In December 2014, the Environment and Energy
Commission of Columbia recommended that the City Council restrict the use and
distribution of single-use bags, both paper and plastic, by putting the cost on
consumers. The Columbia City Council withdrew the proposal in March, but
officials said they will reintroduce the matter in the future.
Opponents of this fee say that imposing regulations in one
municipality creates inconsistency for businesses and consumers alike.
“The biggest problem is when you have these ordinances, that
they’re inconsistent,” Jones says. “You have these small businesses that have
to comply by one set of rules because they live in Columbia, and another set of
small businesses that live in another community that don’t have to comply with
those kinds of regulations. It makes things very inconsistent for all
businesses across the board.”
