By Dustin Gardiner | The Republic
Bisbee’s ban on plastic grocery bags violates state law and must be repealed, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office has concluded.
The decision leaves that city’s leaders with a precarious choice: Undo the 2012 ordinance or risk losing vital state-shared revenues that pay for public services.
On Tuesday, the Attorney General’s Office released an investigative report outlining the conclusion that the bag ban is unlawful. The state investigated Bisbee under a law that allows Arizona to withhold tax revenue from cities that pass ordinances in conflict with state law.
That investigation was prompted by a complaint from state Sen. Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, who’s argued that such regulations raise costs for businesses.
