A bill that would have prohibited local governments from banning plastic bags and other containers failed to advance in the state Legislature.
After passing out of the House Natural Resources Committee the last week of February, House Bill 320, the Container Regulation Act, never made it to the House floor for further debate. The bill’s sponsor, Spanish Fork Republican Rep. Mike McKell, tried numerous times to un-circle—or un-hold the bill—to discuss it with the full House, but he was met with groans from the representatives.
During the committee hearing for HB 320, McKell argued that bans on plastic bags and other containers by local governments—including Park City and Moab—were anti-business and created inconsistency in the marketplace. Had the bill passed, it would have undone Park City’s 2017 ordinance prohibiting the use of plastic bags at the Fresh Market, The Market at Park City and Rite-Aid.
During the session, Park City Representatives Tim Quinn and Logan Wilde actively opposed HB 320 and reportedly encouraged their colleagues in the House to do the same.
