Pa. blocks plastic bag bans days before Ferguson Township was set to introduce ordinance

Days before Ferguson Township was set to introduce an ordinance to impose an impact fee on consumers who use single-use plastic bags, Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation barring municipalities from enacting such fees.

The measure Wolf signed Friday is a 69-page budget-related bill that lawmakers unveiled two days ago.

A three-paragraph provision prohibits municipal bans or taxes on plastic bags or packaging for one year while legislative agencies study the economic and environmental impact.

Senate Republican Leader Jake Corman, R-Benner Township, says he wanted the provision because his district includes a plastics manufacturer and a township considering a fee on plastic bags.

Philadelphia city officials are also considering a ban on plastic bags and a fee on reusable bags that many stores provide.

Wolf in 2017 vetoed legislation preventing counties and municipalities from taxing or banning plastic bags.

This story was originally published June 29, 2019 at 12:34 AM.