The business of government in the hands of a Democrat majority is to legislate away convenient, affordable, useful, free-market solutions (among other things). If it works for you, it doesn’t work for them. Take plastic shopping bags.
Related: Out-Of-State Group Behind Portsmouth Bag Ban Will Keep Pushing Their Agenda
Easy, low-cost, less of a threat to the environment, made in the US, but the Progressive Necronomicon says they are bad.
That means limitations, prohibitions, and when necessary the use of fines and force. Plastic bags must be regulated. You will be inconvenienced.
The Democrat’s Dopey Details
To get here from there, the Democrat-socialists danced widdershins around burning copies of the State and Federal constitution. Studied the goat-entrails in their dank-legisaltive lairs, then followed the advice of big-dollar out-of-state donors and came up with HB560. A Bill that restricts the distribution of single-use carryout bags by stores and food service businesses.
No store or food service business shall provide a single-use plastic carryout bag to a customer except to distribute remaining 2018 inventory.
II. A store or food service business may provide reusable plastic or recycled paper bags to customers for not less than 10 cents, to be retained by the business.
III. Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT), and Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC) users are exempt from this subdivision.
IV. Nothing in this subdivision shall prevent any municipality or local public agency from adopting and implementing an ordinance or rule that would further restrict the distribution of single-use carryout bags.
149-M:63 Enforcement. This section shall be enforced by the department or any law enforcement officer having jurisdiction in the area in which the violation occurs. The first and second violations of RSA 149-M:62 shall result in a notice of violation, and any subsequent violation shall be punishable by a fine of $25 for each day the business is in violation, but not to exceed $300 annually.
149-M:64 Rulemaking. The department shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to the purposes of this subdivision.
It takes effect immediately upon passage.
It is the pointless straw distribution restrictions but with an actual ban.
- Thou Shalt Not use cheaper, better, faster bags.
- Thou Shall force consumers to pay for bags we deem suitable upon request.
- All Added costs will be passed on in the cost of goods and services.
- Failure to comply will result in public shaming and fines.
Call the Straw Nazi at the Department of Environmental Services to report illegal trafficking in single-use plastics. Peace officers will be diverted from more practical uses of their time to investigate and cite violators.
“Take all the time you need, but how many plastic bags would you estimate were used in the offense?”
The Ban Comes with Unseen Costs
And we’ve not even begun to broach the cost of lost productivity. Loading reusable bags takes an excruciatingly long time compared to single-use plastic. These bags need to be machine washed to prevent health concerns – which takes energy and adds unnecessary strain on the water supply and eco-system.
The ban is a more significant threat to the environment that the current arrangements. Brown paper has a bigger carbon footprint- reusable bags are even more so. And the scope of this infringement is much broader than you imagine. It will make your life more expensive. It is another meaningless gesture that wastes your time and money. But the Left has tunnel vision.
Democrats will never stop wasting our time and our money on their pointless environmental virtue-signaling. Only you, dear voter, can stop the madness. But to do that, you have to vote. Every time. Because they will.
Image: CNS News
