December 11, 2019
URGENT ACTION: December 11th, 2019
The House version of the bill, HB 242, is now scheduled to be voted on by the House TODAY, Wednesday Dec. 11 during the 1:30pm session. Please call your OH House representative now! (Find your legislator: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislators/district-maps) to tell them to please VOTE NO on House Bill 242 which would prohibit local government regulation of plastic bags and other "auxiliary containers." If you wish, feel free to mention that Governor DeWine also opposes the bill (see more below).
Perhaps more importantly, please help get the word out to colleagues and associates across the state to make sure that House members across the board are hearing about this bill.
For further background on the status of both bills in the state legislature, here is a quick update and summary of action opportunities on these bills:
- As of today, HB 242 has been referred by House Rules to the House floor for a full vote of the House. The vote is scheduled for today, Wed. December 11.- SB 222 (the companion to the House Bill) had a third hearing in the Senate Local Government, Public Safety and Veterans Affairs committee on Tuesday, Dec 3rd. Approximately 40 testimonies in opposition were received and 1.5 hrs of oral testimony was delivered to the committee. (Way more than the proponents!) No vote was taken, so there will need to be at least one more committee hearing to pass the bill out of committee. (Then it will need to be referred from Senate Rules to the Senate floor for a vote...time is getting short for this to happen by year-end.)- The past few days, there have been news stories that covered Governor DeWine's take on the issue / bills. He said he is opposed to the bills and think that local governments should be able to be a testing grounds for approaches to addressing plastic pollution. He also acknowledged that plastic pollution is a huge issue (!) This is important, but even if the Governor vetoes the bill, the legislature may be able to overturn it.
Next steps for action...here's where you can help!
- EVERYONE contact their House member and ask them to vote against HB 242 pertaining to containers. (Find your legislator: https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislators/district-maps)- Groups and individuals that have not yet submitted testimony to the Senate Local Government committee should plan to do so. Contact Elissa Yoder Mann at elissa.yoder@sierraclub.org for submission info.- EVERYONE make calls to Governor DeWine's office applauding his position against the container law preemption bills and for local government freedom to develop solutions to plastic pollution. (Pats on the back are always nice, and hopefully it will encourage him to hold strong on his position and veto any bills that may make it to his desk) (614) 644-4357
Keep Fighting!