Plastic bag ban may go to voters

Efforts to ban some types of plastic bags in Thurston County took another step forward, as a majority of the Lacey City Council voted to ask the Thurston County commissioners to draft an ordinance doing just that.

But – the Lacey council also voted to put any such ordinance before a vote of the people.

The vote to ban the bags was 4-3 – – with Councilmembers Jeff Gadman, Cynthia Pratt, Ron Lawson and Andy Ryder voting in favor of proceeding with a ban.  Mayor Virgil Clarkson, Deputy Mayor Jason Hearn and Councilmember Lenny Greenstein voted against the ban.

Lacey now joins with Tumwater and Olympia in favoring a ban on some forms of plastic bags.  Yelm has gone on record as favoring a county wide vote.

But, in a twist not followed by Tumwater and Olympia, the council also voted to place any such ban on the ballot.

Six members of the council voted in favor of a public vote.  Lawson’s vote on a vote was not noted.

Mayor Clarkson said he’s had conversations with some members of the other jurisdictions and that there was some interest in going to the people for a public vote.

After a great deal of discussion and the two votes, Clarkson said about the issue, “we shoved it around the plate a little more.”

(A full report on the entire discussion may appear at some time.  For the most part it was just a continuation of already decided positions.)