The Ohio House has approved a bill prohibiting local communities from banning single use plastic bags. The measure now moves to the Ohio Senate. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports.
Republican House Speaker Larry Householder supports the ban on bans, saying retailers need uniform rules.
“There should be consistency as far as your business is concerned.”
And what about the home rule provision of the Ohio constitution? “It's not a violation of home rule because the legislature’s doing it, you know. We created and that's all part of the program.”
Democratic Leader Emilia Sykes says concerns about a patchwork of regulations are real but this is not an issue for state lawmakers to decide.
“I think it oversteps our boundaries as a body and we should definitely let our local communities make this decision for themselves.”
Governor Mike DeWine has said he thinks banning local bans would be a mistake, suggesting a possible veto.