Lawmaker wants to ban plastic bags state-wide

Plastic bags are already banned in much of the Bay Area, but tonight a local lawmaker is trying to ban them state-wide.

Assm. Marc Levine, D-San Rafael, says plastic grocery bags are killing marine life and littering beaches.

Retailers have unsuccessfully fought bag bans in many cities and counties already, but Levine says a uniform ban is actually better for business.

"If you're operating a market in the northern part of the state and one in the southern part that both happen to be in jurisdictions that have different tweaks to these policies, or one that has a ban and one that doesn't, it makes it more difficult and so this will actually make it more uniform for everybody, both from the consumer standpoint, and even for our markets," he said.

Levine's proposal outlaws use of the bags in large grocery stores by 2015. They would then have to offer recycled paper bags and sell re-usable bags.

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