Could Oregon ban the bag?

Oregon could be the first state to enact a statewide ban on plastic bags if a handful of bipartisan lawmakers have their way. A pair of state senators, one Republican and one Democrat, have been steadily working on a bill that will be considered by the legislature when it convenes in January of next year. Their proposal, according to local media reports, would ban plastic bags by November 2011 (with some exceptions for pharmacies, restaurants, meat departments in grocery stores and others), and tack on a nickel charge for recycled paper bags. So far, the bill has the support of the Northwest Grocers Association and a host of environmental groups, but has predictably drawn the ire of the American Chemistry Council, which has threatened a lawsuit.

An attempt to ban plastic bags failed in a legislative session earlier this year, not unlike a similar effort in the Beaver State's neighbor to the south. Portland, the state's largest city, also put a citywide ban on ice, pending action by the legislature.