Cuomo to include plastic bag ban proposal in budget

ALBANY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to see single-use plastic bags banned in New York state and is proposing a prohibition on them as part of his upcoming executive budget.
Cuomo announced the proposal on Jan. 13, along with a proposal to make most non-alcoholic bottles eligible for a 5-cent redemption.
He called the bag ban a “bold action" that would “create a cleaner and greener New York for all."
He had first proposed a ban last April, after he and lawmakers in 2017 blocked a proposed plastic bag fee from going into effect in New York City.
Meanwhile, counties across the state have initiated actions on their own.
Suffolk County's plastic bag law took effect in January. It requires stores to charge a nickel for bags.
An Ulster County law, which takes effect later this year, law bars most retailers from using plastic bags for customer purchases and requires stores to charge a nickel for each recyclable paper bag provided. The goal is to get people to bring their own reusable bags.
Orange County Legislator Kevindaryan Lugan, a Democrat from Newburgh, is pushing a similar measure among lawmakers in Goshen.
The Dutchess County Legislature has passed a measure requiring stores to switch to paper or reusable bags by 2019.
The Warwick Town Board considered a ban but decided the matter was best handled at the county level.