As Columbia proposes banning plastic bags, one lawmaker's bill would prevent that. Steven Anthony reports from Jefferson City.
The deputy state director of one of the most influential conservative groups testified in front of a House committee Tuesday in favor of a bill that would prevent cities from banning or charging for plastic bags.
"What is happening in Columbia is getting in between the choice of the consumer and the retailer and we just don't think that they should do that," said Rachel Payton, deputy state director of Americans for Prosperity.
St. Louis Democrat Mike Colona asked Payton about the issue of local control and said Columbia should be able to make the choice for themselves.
"Why do we have to deal with it here? This is what we would call in the legal community speculative: 'well, this might happen, so because it might happen, we want to supplant local control and do it at the state level,'" he said.
The committee took no action on the bill.