Gov. Andrew Cuomo Proposes Plastic Bag Ban After Killing New York City's Bag Law

The Democratic governor proposed a ban on single-use plastic bags in his state-of-the-state address on Jan. 15. Nearly two years earlier, he signed a bill that prevented New York City from charging for bags as the District of Columbia and Boston do.

2 minute read

January 23, 2019, 2:00 PM PST

By Irvin Dawid


Governor Andrew Cuomo

lev radin / Shutterstock

"Among Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s goals in the coming year is for the Democrats who now control the State Legislature to ban single-use plastic bags," reports Azi Paybarah on Jan. 22. Bans and/or fees on single-use plastic bags exist in hundreds of cities across the nation, such as Boston where it took effect last month, but statewide bans and/or fees exist in only two states and the District of Columbia.

However, it must be noted that more states ban local governments from enacting plastic bag reduction ordinances than those that have adopted them.

Following in the footsteps of Arizona and Missouri in 2015 and Idaho in 2016, Michigan passed legislation in 2016, signed by Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, to preempt cities or counties from regulating single-use plastic bags or other disposable containers. The law was precipitated by an ordinance passed by Washtenaw County (county seat is Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan) to charge a 10-cent bag fee. 

Similarly, Gov. Cuomo signed legislation on Feb. 14, 2017, "effectively killing a law that would have imposed a 5-cent fee on plastic bags in New York City, disappointing environmentalists as well as city leaders who characterized the move as a classic case of Albany’s overreach," reported Jesse McKinley for the Times. Cuomo objected to the fee being kept by the merchants, yet that's what's done with the nickel fee in D.C. and Boston, and the 10-cent fee in California.

The current proposal, described in the governor's Jan. 13 announcement, includes an expansion of the beverage container recycling known as the Bottle Bill. Times reporter Michael Gold of the Times reports more extensively on the proposal and background on the issue, including current state legislation to "establish guidelines for carryout bag waste reduction."

[Also see Gold's related article via Planetizen: New York City Polystyrene Ban Took Effect New Year's Day, January 4, 2019: Thanks to two recent New York State court rulings, disposable food and beverage containers will no longer be made from polystyrene in the nation's largest city.]

Tuesday, January 22, 2019 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight