20-Cent Bag Tax Pitched for Virginia

Similar to District, Montgomery County measures

Virginia lawmakers want to take a D.C. idea but quadruple the price, WTOP reports.

Montgomery County phased in a 5-cent bag tax this year, in line with the District's 5-cent bag tax, which went in effect in January of 2010.

The Virginia version would be similar, but carry a higher price.

From WTOP:

The bill, co-sponsored by Delegates Joe Morrissey, D-Va., and Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, would impose a 20-cent fee on all plastic bags used by grocery shoppers to carry purchased goods. It doesn't affect durable, reusable bags, or bags used for ice cream, meat, fish or poultry.

Surovell told WTOP that the point is not to bring in more revenue, but to cut down on litter and pollution.

In Virginia, past versions of similar bills have failed.

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