With Affordability on Every Consumer’s Mind…

 
MA Senate Proposes a New 10 Cent Paper Bag Tax
&
a $1.45/gallon Tariff on Every Can of Paint Sold in MA

 
Yes, you read that correctly.  Despite the high cost of living and affordability being today’s top concern – from housing to health care to energy to food and consumer goods – the MA Senate is set to debate a bill TOMORROW to further raise costs on consumers, residents and families.
  

Given the dramatic consumer spending shifts to online purchasing and delivery, more government red tape – combined with increased consumer costs and fewer choices – will only accelerate that trend, meaning more dark store fronts, fewer jobs, and lower tax revenues.
 
S.3050, An Act to build resilience for Massachusetts communities, is a $3.64 billion environmental bond bill that includes components of an omnibus plastics ban bill and a hidden paint tax, including:

• A ban on plastic carryout bags – allowable exemptions include bags for pharmacy/prescription medication, bag used to protect items from damage/contamination, unwrapped food, to protect articles of clothing on a hanger, frozen food items, raw meat, uncooked seafood or similar products, etc.
• Only reusable bags or recycled paper bags allowed at carryout
• recycled paper bags subject to a minimum $0.10 charge, with $0.05 being remitted to the state
• “Reusable bag”, a bag that: (i) is made of machine-washable cloth, fabric, hemp or other woven or non-woven fibers; (ii) has handles that are stitched with thread and not heat-fused; and (iii) is designed and manufactured for multiple uses; provided, however, that a “reusable bag” shall not include a bag made of plastic film of any thickness
• Includes an inadequate small business exemption threshold for those not wanting to charge a fee

• Food service ware – only to be provided upon request by the customer
• “Food service ware”, disposable products used for serving or transporting foods or including, but not limited to, plates, bowls, trays, cups, cartons, hinged or lidded containers, straws, stirrers, cup spill plugs, cup sleeves, condiments, containers, utensils, cocktail sticks or picks, toothpicks, film wrap and napkins

 
Roughly 70% of the MA population lives in a municipality that has already adopted a plastic bag ban, this is really about a $0.10 TAX on the only option left – a paper bag.
 
AND, the bill proposes a Paint Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) program that is 100% CONSUMER FINANCED, which would add $1.45 TARIFF on every gallon of paint sold in MA.  Paint manufacturers are telling lawmakers that retailers support this bill – don’t let them speak for you! 
 
Imposing additional costs on paint and bags, whether you want to call them a fee or a tax, is misguided given today’s consumer affordability challenges. 
 
Contact your Senator TODAY to voice your concerns with this legislation before tomorrow’s debate and oppose the bag and paint TAXES! 
 
A handful of amendments that could improve the bill have been offered and you can urge your Senators to support:

• Amendment #24 - Removing the Paper Bag Tax – this eliminates the $0.10 paper bag fee
• Amendment #25 - Amending the Paper Bag Tax – this makes the fee entirely optional
• Amendment #113 - Low Volume Bag User Exemption – this amendment allows a small business using less than 25,000 bags per year to opt out of charging the fee
• Amendment #148 - Protecting consumers from burdening the cost for the paint product stewardship program - eliminates the tax on consumers and puts the responsibility to finance the paint program on the manufacturers who are pushing it
• Amendment #302 - Retail bag provisions – this deletes the plastic bag and food service ware provisions entirely

Click here to access our easy-to-use Voter’s Voice Advocacy tool to send your senator an email.