The New York State Senate Standing Committee on Cities will be holding a hearing on Friday, May 20, 2016, at 10 a.m. in the 19th Floor Senate Hearing Room at 250 Broadway in Manhattan to examine the issue of taxes and fees on carry-out merchandise bags.

New York City recently enacted legislation due to take effect in October that creates a five-cent tax to be paid by a consumer when they need a disposable plastic or paper bag to carry their purchases.

This hearing will explore the economic burden this or other possible bag taxes could place on the state’s consumers and retailers; the potential for increased health risks due to cross-contamination of food when widespread use of reusable bags replaces disposable bags; the environmental impact of replacing recyclable disposable bags with more permanent bag
options; and discussion of legislation including S.7336/A.9904, which prohibits taxes, fees, or local charges on carry-out merchandise bags, among other issues.

Senator Simcha Felder (D, Brooklyn), Chairman of the Cities Committee and sponsor of S.7336, is expected to be joined by Senator Roxanne Persaud, Ranking Minority Member of the Cities Committee; Assemblyman Michael Cusick, sponsor of A.9904; and other committee members to lead the hearing.

Below is a list of speakers in the order which they are expected to appear:

· Betha Lewis, The Black Institute;
· Wilmouth Seaton, Churches United to Save & Heal;
· Christina Winslow, A Cause, A Concern, A Solution Network;
· New York City Department of Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia;
· New York City Council Member Chaim Deutsch;
· New York City Council Member Brad Lander;
· New York City Council Member James Vacca;
· Abigail Turner, American Forest and Paper Association;
· Tom Lucania, Representative of Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.;
· John Weber, Surfrider Foundation;
· Lisa DiCaprio, Sierra Club;
· Judith Weis, Rutgers University;
· Jordan Christensen, Citizens Campaign for the Environment;
· Steven Stein, Environmental Resources Planning, LLC;
· Ramon Murphy, Bodega Association;
· Brad Gerstman, NY Association of Grocery Stores;
· Maston Sansom, Food Industry Alliance;
· John Feretich, Rainbow Apparel Company;
· Eli Amsel, Lagmitz Paper and Plastic;
· Kenneth Trottere, Poly-Pak Industries; and
· Teresa Bazbaz, Superbag.

The hearing will also be livestreamed on the Senate website – go to https://www.nysenate.gov/committees/cities and click on the entry for the May 20th hearing.

(YWN Desk – NYC)