Going into the first session of the 132nd Legislature, lawmakers have already submitted two bills aimed at rolling back restrictions on the bags available to Mainers at the grocery store.
While one proposed bill aims to do away with the five cent fee on paper grocery bags, another seeks to repeal the law regulating grocery bag usage in its entirety.
LD 56 — An Act to Remove the 5 Cent Fee for Bags in Retail Stores — was sponsored by Rep. Michael H. Lemelin (R-Chelsea) and amends Sec. 1. 38 MRSA §1611 sub-§3 to remove the provision requiring retail establishments to charge five cents for paper or reusable plastic bags.
Under the law currently in place, reusable plastic bags are considered to be those designed for at least 75 repeated uses, are at least four millimeters thick, and can carry at least 18 pounds.
Click Here to Read the Full Text of LD 56
Sponsored by Rep. Barbara A. Bagshaw (R-Windham), and co-sponsored by Sen. Jim Libby (R-Cumberland), Rep. Alicia Collins (R-Sidney), Rep. Mark C. Cooper (R-Windham), and Rep. Kathy Javner (R-Chester), LD 69 seeks to repeal this section of law entirely.
Titled An Act to Repeal the Law Restricting the Use of Certain Plastic, Paper and Single-use Bags, this proposed legislation would not only eliminate the fee, but it would repeal the state’s restrictions on paper and plastic bags in their entirely.
Click Here to Read the Full Text of LD 69
Both proposed bills have been referred to the the Environment and Natural Resources Committee for further consideration during the upcoming legislative session.
Maine’s ban on non-reusable plastic bags officially went into effect on July 1, 2021. Although it was originally set to take effect on April 22, 2020, the ban’s enforcement was delayed due to concerns over the potential spread of COVID-19.
The ban was delayed for a second time due to “disruption in packing supplies and logistical effects” caused by the pandemic.
At this same time, retail stores providing non-reusable bags were required to begin charging the 5 cent fee. Reusable bags not made of plastic are exempt from the 5 cent fee requirement, but stores often charge their own fee for these bags, often ranging from around 75 cents to several dollars.
Click Here to Read the DEP’s Full 2021 Press Release on Bag Restrictions
As of mid-2024, 11 other states had enacted statewide bans on plastic bags, including: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
Yes, Please! But the dems won’t allow it and even if we did I bet the stores would still charge 5 cents a bag.
Just another stupid scheme to make the whacky left feel something, other than miserable !!
Push the wire basket out to your car.
It wasn’t so long ago that the left demonized paper bags as they were said to be devastating the forests, endangered species living in the forest etc. Then we were forced to pay 5 cents for a bag, but you never hear any stats on what a huge positive impact any of this has made on people’s lives or the environment. The bag law is slightly less irritating than paper straws…..but not much.
Why did they leave out single use plastic trash bags in the original law? And weren’t we forced to use plastic bags in order to save the trees, by the same fools who later banned the plastic bags?
Maine lawmakers first invest in something like making reusable plastic bags then vote it into law to increase profits. They seem to do this with every new law they make up. When a new law is passed ask yourself, who will benefit financially. The answer is never you, it is always them and your going to pay for it.
“11 other states had enacted statewide bans on plastic bags, including: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington” And, as with present day Maine, everyone of these not too bright states is run by leftist demorats.
Our govt “rulers” are a joke..
It’s time for term limits, one term and your done!
First they said paper bags were bad ! We must save our forests. Plastic is the way to go. Bunko!!! It’s way worse !
Dumb leftists. Now , let’s let them have paper bags but charge the 5cents a bag… JOKE ! Instead of getting rid of the stupid ridiculous “law” , what a joke ,like there’s even a law like that… let’s get rid of the people that wanted it in the first place, problem solved!
This was dumb legislation to start with. People were led to believe that by eliminating a pretty useful item, it would somehow save seals, or reduce the famed “garbage patch” out in the pacific ocean.
Everyone I knew had a “stash” of the plastic bags, and they were reused multiple times.
I now buy them from Amazon…$15 for 375. I split the order with my neighbor.
If you really want to remove some useless plastic from the circle of life, get rid of the plastic water bottles, which is a complete no brainer. Companies that “botttle” water into plastics already have the technology to use cans. Dasani?…Coco Cola. Doesn’t require any new inventions or technology.
Go to Mashpee on Cape Cod, and hop into the local Cumberland Farms and find a bottle of water. NOPE. It’s all in aluminum cans, which are easily recyclable, unlike plastic which is very difficult, if not impossible to recycle.
Plastic water bottles fly out of Hannifords, Sam’s Club, BJs, and Costco by the millions each year.
The stores need to make it clear that it is a “TAX” and the state is getting the nickel and you ain’t getting it back like your soda cans. Tourist come and think the store is cheap cause they charge you for a bag. I’ll fill every pocket I got or find a box before I give Mills a nickel for a bag.
I love going to NH and smuggling in as many plastic single use bags as I can. I’m such a rebel
So Hannaford just changed the container they have their cookies in from a lightweight cardboard container to an all-plastic container!!! Oh yes, they ask you if would like your packaged meats placed in a PLASTIC BAG, and all the produce you pick up is also put in a plastic bag!! But god forbid we the consumer can’t have plastic bags to bring our groceries home in!! This is all a big joke!!!! I think I will start saving my receipts and paper bags, and at the end of the month, I will take those receipts and all the bags I bought for .05 and return them to get my money back!! LOL It’s not a deposit cause I PAID for them and not being charged like a .05 deposit on a can or a bottle or something like that!!! They are charging me money for a bag to bring my groceries home in!!! So after I get my groceries home and I am done with the bag I should be able to return them to the place that I bought them from..