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Murphy Still Studying Bag Fee Bill

plastic bags

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has not decided yet whether he’ll sign a bill that would impose a 5-cent fee on plastic and paper shopping bags.

Murphy says he’s still considering the measure that would raise an estimated $23 million

for lead abatement programs.

“There was a sense because we didn’t include it in the budget that we had come out negatively on it. We didn’t include it in the budget because we felt like we had not had the time to assess it and really analyze it.”

Supporters say the goal of the legislation is to use less plastic that ends up as litter and clogs waterways.

But some environmental groups opposed it because the state law would preempt towns that have not already banned plastic bags from enacting a local ban in the future.

The Governor says the measure has pluses and minuses and he wants to take the time to make sure he gets it right.