Updated: 11 a.m.
The Jacksonville Beach City Council voted for a resolution Monday supporting a state bill that would make it possible for some Florida cities to regulate plastic bags.
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The Jacksonville Beach City Council will decide Monday whether or not to support state legislation that would make it possible to ban plastic bags.
Council will vote on the resolution, or statement of support, at a council meeting beginning at 7 p.m. at Jacksonville Beach City Hall. Even if it passes, the council isn’t required to pass a ban.
"Basically all it will do is show our support for legislation in Tallahassee right now that would allow local coastal communities to come up with a pilot program to have an impact on plastic bag usage," Council Member Christine Hoffman told News4Jax.
The resolution states Jacksonville Beach is committed to reducing plastic pollution to protect marine life. It also states the city supports initiatives to promote reusable bags and lessen the negative impacts of single-use plastic bags.
Right now it’s illegal for Florida towns to regulate the use or sale of plastic bags.
But the state legislature is considering allowing beach towns with fewer than 100,000 residents to create a pilot program regulating or banning the bags.
Local governments that pass the ordinance would be required to track its impact on the environment and publish their findings for the city or county governing body by 2020.
If the law passes, the Jacksonville Beach City Council could vote on an ordinance to regulate or ban plastic bags.
Last year a similar state bill died in committees.
News4Jax reporter Elizabeth Campbell contributed to this article.
Photo: "Fisherman Island National Wildlife Refuge" used under Creative Commons.
Reporter Lindsey Kilbride can be reached at lkilbride@wjct.org, 904-358-6359 or on Twitter at @lindskilbride.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been updated with the outcome of Monday's vote.
