Baltimore City Council Considers Bag Fee

(UPDATED 9:50 a.m.)—Councilman Brandon Scott has introduced legislation that would force retailers, such as supermarkets and convenience stores, to charge customers for paper and plastic bags in Baltimore.

The bill, which is intended to help address the city’s littering issue, was introduced during the City Council’s Monday meeting, and will be given a hearing in the Judiciary and Legislative Investigations Committee.   

"We have to get out of this mindset that new and innovative stuff, that are great for people, and great for the environment don’t work here in Baltimore. In Baltimore we have this mindset of 'if it’s new we don’t want it,'" Scott said. "We want things to work the way they have forever, and the way things have been working forever have ultimately have negatively impacted the city."

The bill as currently submitted calls for a 25 cents fee, but in a telephone interview Tuesday morning Scott said that he will seek to amend the bill and reduce the fee to 10 cents.

Bags used for carrying poultry, meat and produce would be exempt from the fee under the law.

Council members have tried to pass a bag fee twice before and failed. About two years ago the council passed the bill that was drafted with retailers, which requires them to ask customers if they want a plastic bag before giving them one.

Councilman James Kraft, who sponsored that bill, said during Monday’s meeting it was not working.

"It’s very simple, in a grocery store, the act that they asked us to write, that they helped draft, it simply says this: 'they can’t give you a plastic bag unless you ask for it'… yet if you go through the grocery store line they immediately put your groceries in a plastic bag, which is a violation of the law every single time they do it," Kraft said. 

Although its yet to be seen if the bill has enough support to pass the council, Scott said the administration would approve the legislation if he can get it through the council.

"If the bill passes the mayor will sign it," Scott said.

This article has been updated from its original version to reflect Councilman Brandon Scott's intention to amend the amount of the bag fee.