OPINION: Vote now on bottle bill extension
GateHouse News Service
Posted Jul 26, 2012
There must be something in the bottled water on Beacon Hill this month.
After years of committee ducking and dodging, the Legislature last week pulled Melissa’s Bill out of endless committee, voted and sent it to the governor for signing.
Now, in a stealth maneuver that took both advocates and opponents by surprise, the Senate has made another bold move and unanimously passed a measure that would extend the state’s bottle bill to include containers that hold water, iced tea and other non-carbonated beverages.
With no debate last week, that body unanimously approved the proposal, which had been bouncing around various committees for 14 years, as an amendment to a jobs and economic development bill.
The measure would extend the 5-cent deposit on carbonated beverages and beer by adding water, juice and sports drinks to the 30-year-old law.
Just last month the bill appeared dead on Beacon Hill. The legislative committee reviewing the bill opted to send it to a study committee. Few bills sent to study committees ever emerge.
The bill’s critics have argued for years that expanding the existing law would amount to a new tax on consumers and hurt small businesses that would be required to handle increased bottle returns.
Proponents point to the success of the state’s current recycling programs and to statistics that show many of the beverage bottles included in this expansion legislation are already being voluntarily recycled by consumers. As of April of this year, some 208 cities and towns in the commonwealth, including Bridgewater, Abington, Raynham and Randolph among others in southeastern Massachusetts, have passed resolutions in favor of the bill.
But, as we know well in Massachusetts, nothing in politics is over until it’s over.
The proposal must still get onto the floor of the House for a vote before July 31 and then to Gov. Deval Patrick for signing before becoming law.
We say 14 years is probably enough time for thoughtful deliberation, full study and polling of constituent sentiment on the issue.
It’s time to vote.
If you agree, contact your state representative and urge action. Now.
Read more: http://www.enterprisenews.com/topstories/x1052261224/OPINION-Vote-now-on-bottle-bill-extension#ixzz21j4WfgnO
After years of committee ducking and dodging, the Legislature last week pulled Melissa’s Bill out of endless committee, voted and sent it to the governor for signing.
Now, in a stealth maneuver that took both advocates and opponents by surprise, the Senate has made another bold move and unanimously passed a measure that would extend the state’s bottle bill to include containers that hold water, iced tea and other non-carbonated beverages.
With no debate last week, that body unanimously approved the proposal, which had been bouncing around various committees for 14 years, as an amendment to a jobs and economic development bill.
The measure would extend the 5-cent deposit on carbonated beverages and beer by adding water, juice and sports drinks to the 30-year-old law.
Just last month the bill appeared dead on Beacon Hill. The legislative committee reviewing the bill opted to send it to a study committee. Few bills sent to study committees ever emerge.
The bill’s critics have argued for years that expanding the existing law would amount to a new tax on consumers and hurt small businesses that would be required to handle increased bottle returns.
Proponents point to the success of the state’s current recycling programs and to statistics that show many of the beverage bottles included in this expansion legislation are already being voluntarily recycled by consumers. As of April of this year, some 208 cities and towns in the commonwealth, including Bridgewater, Abington, Raynham and Randolph among others in southeastern Massachusetts, have passed resolutions in favor of the bill.
But, as we know well in Massachusetts, nothing in politics is over until it’s over.
The proposal must still get onto the floor of the House for a vote before July 31 and then to Gov. Deval Patrick for signing before becoming law.
We say 14 years is probably enough time for thoughtful deliberation, full study and polling of constituent sentiment on the issue.
It’s time to vote.
If you agree, contact your state representative and urge action. Now.
Read more: http://www.enterprisenews.com/topstories/x1052261224/OPINION-Vote-now-on-bottle-bill-extension#ixzz21j4WfgnO
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