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Montgomery County will start charging 5 cents per bag in 2012.
The County Council passed the measure 8-1, meaning a 5 cent tax on each paper or plastic take-out bag from nearly all stores will be imposed at the start of 2012.
Council Vice President Roger Berliner said he and his colleagues heard a lot from their D.C. counterparts about the city's own bag tax, implemented in 2010.
"Testimony that our council heard on this perfectly reflected the testimony of Council member Wells and their experience, which was broad acceptance in the environmental community and literally not a peep from our business community," he says.
Berliner says the council's goal isn't to raise money, but to encourage shoppers to use reusable shopping bags.
Council member Nancy Floreen cast the lone dissenting vote, saying that if her colleagues were so concerned about the environmental impact of plastic bags, they should have just banned them outright.
NPR
Cannes Film Festival Keeps Kenneth Turan Coming Back
David Greene talks with Morning Edition film critic Kenneth Turan about some of the movies at this year's Cannes Film Festival in France. They include a standout from American director Alexander Payne called Nebraska. Turan first covered the movie festival 42 years ago.NPR
In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial
Activists say the case against Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger is about raw milk — and much more. His supporters have turned the case into a rallying cry for personal food freedom and the rights of farmers and consumers to enter into private contracts without government intervention.NPR
IRS Official's Silence Riles House Committee Members
On Wednesday, Lois Lerner, the IRS official overseeing the tax-exempt organizations office, refused to testify during a hearing on Capitol Hill, and was attacked by some Republicans on the House committee. Her brief appearance was the beginning of a five-hour session marked by angry outbursts and allegations of political motives.NPR
How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started
You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.Leave a Comment
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