Michael Sol Warren reports for NJ.com
All eyes are on Gov. Phil Murphy.
Sitting on the Governor’s desk is a bill that would impose a statewide five-cent fee on single-use plastic and paper bags.
Supporters of the bill say that the fee will encourage consumers to use reusable bags and cut back on litter.
Opponents, however, believe that a fee will do little to stop the trashing of New Jersey, instead only serving as the latest environmental fund for legislators to raid in their yearly quest to balance the budget.
New Jersey would be the first state to have a statewide fee on single-use bags, but there is a precedent. Washington, D.C. has had a district-wide fee in place since 2010. Here’s what the Garden State can learn from the nation’s capital.
