PROVIDENCE – Saying that it would inordinately affect low-income families, Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza on Monday vetoed a city ordinance amendment that would reduce the use of single-use plastic bags in the city that would require stores to charge customers no less than 10 cents per bag.
Elorza supported the intentions of the ordinance but requested more “robust community engagement be done” before he will sign the change into law.
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“I am confident that with more time for public discourse and these voices centered in that process, we can come up with a plastic bag policy that eliminates this environmental hazard from our community, while not burdening our low-income residents,” said Elorza in a statement. “By being deliberate and intentional about who is at the table, we can create an effective policy that makes our communities stronger, rather than divide us. Once that is done, I look forward to signing this into law.”
The ordinance would not have gone into effect for a full year as passed. The City Council passed the change to the city ordinance (Chapter 12 “Health and Sanitation”) on March 15 which effectively limited the use of single-use plastic bags by retailers with specific exemptions for certain businesses.
Chris Bergneheim is the PBN web editor.
