AWS Action Alert: Ask legislators to pass MD bag bill out of committee

Last week we had excellent hearings on the Maryland bag bill in both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly.

Trash Free Maryland alliance members and other proponents had a wealth of information on our side:

• Alice Ferguson Foundation reported polling data on the impact of DC's bag bill -- 78% of businesses reported either positive or no impact to their business and 75% of DC residents reported using fewer single-use plastic bags.
• DC estimated an 80% reduction in bag use after the bag bill -- from 270 million bags in 2009 to 55 million bags in 2010.
• AWS noted that there is no such thing as a free bag -- instead the cost of purchasing bags is passed on to the consumer via higher prices.  AWS estimates the "hidden cost" of bags at $15 - $37.50 yearly for each Marylander.  The bag bill is pro consumer because it exposes this hidden cost and allows the customer to avoid it.  Unlike a tax, the bag fee can avoided -- if you don't want to pay the bag fee, you never have to!

How you can help

Our next step is to get the bill passed out of committee and we need your voice to help make it happen.

1. Use this Maryland bag bill action alert to contact your legislators and ask them to ensure SB 602 and HB 1034 are voted out of committee.
2. E-mail Senate and House Leadership directly and ask them to pass the bill out of committee:

• Senator Joan Carter Conway, joan.carter.conway@senate.state.md.us
  Chair of Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee (EHEA)
• Senator Thomas "Mac" Middleton, thomas.mclain.middleton@senate.state.md.us
  Chair of Finance Committee (FIN)
• Delegate Maggie McIntosh, maggie.mcintosh@house.state.md.us
  Chair of Environmental Matters (ENV)
• Delegate Dereck Davis, dereck.davis@house.state.md.us
  Chair of Economic Matters (ECO)

The committees will likely vote this week so please reach out right now!