Monday, March 4, was a huge day for the Ban the Bag Campaign! Newport City Council voted 4-2 to move forward with a plastic bag ordinance.
The next step is a Work Session on March 18th at 3 p.m. (with no public comment; this time is for council discussion only), followed by a second public hearing on April 15th at 6:00 p.m.
It was also decided that Newport City Council will vote on whether or not to enact the ordinance. It will not go to the ballot.
Thank you to everyone who provided public comment for the meeting -- whether in writing or at the meeting. The youth who testified were particularly compelling. Some Councilors even cited them when they voted for the council to make the decision instead of putting it on a ballot--since our young people cannot vote.
We still have a ways to go in this process, but this is a huge step towards the decision we want!
Next steps: