Ohio Senate Clamps Down on Local Plastic Bag Bans in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Senate approved House Bill 242 on a party-line 23-9 vote in May 2020, prohibiting municipalities from enacting bans or fees on single-use plastic bags and auxiliary containers like cups and straws for one year. Originally passed by the House in December 2019 with a 57-35 vote as a permanent measure, the Senate amended it to a temporary moratorium amid COVID-19 concerns over sanitation and supply shortages, Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, noted in support. The bill returned to the House for concurrence before heading to then-Gov. Mike DeWine, who had called a permanent ban 'a mistake.'

Local governments across Ohio, including Cuyahoga County and Orange Village, had already moved to curb plastic pollution in Lake Erie and waterways, prompting business-backed pushback for a 'uniform business climate.' In Cincinnati, City Council passed a plastic bag ordinance in September 2020 banning single-use plastic and paper bags from grocery stores and restaurants starting January 2021, with a minimum 5-cent fee on alternatives by July 2022 and fines up to $200 for repeat violators. The measure targeted petroleum-derived bags blamed for litter, sewer clogs and wildlife harm in the Queen City.

House Bill 242 was permanently extended by the Ohio General Assembly in June 2021, indefinitely delaying Cincinnati's ordinance and halting enforcement as of February 2023. No new local bans have taken effect statewide since, overriding home-rule authority in a GOP-dominated legislature. Environmental advocates argue the law stifles community-led efforts against plastic waste, while supporters highlight economic consistency for retailers from Cleveland to Columbus.