Huntington Beach City Council Votes To Repeal Plastic Bag Ban
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com/AP) — A single vote was cast in favor of keeping the plastic bag ban that's been in place in Huntington Beach for two years.
The City Council voted 6-to-1 Monday night to repeal the 2013 ban that prohibited stores from putting groceries and other goods into plastic bags.
Councilman Mike Posey ran for office in order to repeal the ban, a platform that was supported by five other council members Monday night, the Associated Press reported.
It'll take at least 30 days for the ordinance to have a second reading and go into effect, ending grocers' ability to charge 10 cents per paper bag.
Mayor Jill Hardy voted against the repeal and said she's concerned members of the public didn't have time to review and comment on the ordinance or an environmental impact report made available last Wednesday.
Posey told KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO the ban was just another example of too much government interference in people's lives.
"We are adults, we know how to recycle, we know how to reuse, and for the most part, I think most residents of Huntington Beach, myself included, already use paper, already use reusables," said Posey.
Residents first spoke out publicly about their opposition to the ban last April - not necessarily against the Council's stated goal of reducing the 123,000 tons of discarded plastic bags in California every year, but that the ban was never put on a ballot.
Posey acknowledged, however, that Huntington Beach could be the exception among Southland cities as more vote to restrict the use of plastic bags.
"We're bucking the trend for a good reason," he said. "It's the repudiation to the paternalism that government wants to force on the electorate."
Voters statewide will decide whether to ban plastic bags through a November 2016 ballot initiative.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
