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Rahm on Plastic Shopping Bag Ban: Lots of Work Left to Do on Proposal

By Ted Cox | June 25, 2013 4:29pm
 Mayor Rahm Emanuel declines to free a proposed ban on plastic shopping bags from City Council snarls.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel declines to free a proposed ban on plastic shopping bags from City Council snarls.
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DNAinfo/Ted Cox

SOUTH AUSTIN — Mayor Rahm Emanuel left a proposed ban on plastic shopping bags wafting in a City Council committee Tuesday.

"There's a lot that has to be worked through, and there's not a consensus yet," Emanuel said in his first interview session with reporters since his trip to Israel last week.

The citywide ban on plastic shopping bags, sponsored by Ald. Joe Moreno (1st), was favorably received by the Committee on Health and Environmental Protection last week, but Ald. George Cardenas (12th), committee chairman, did not call for a vote.

The proposal got wavering support from Ald. Patrick O'Connor (40th), Emanuel's City Council floor leader, last week.

Emanuel basically echoed that noncommittal attitude Tuesday, saying they needed to find the "right model" to "make the necessary changes." He suggested the ban was not on the fast track to passage.

"I'm not sure the proposal out there meets all of that," Emanuel said. "I think we have a lot of work ahead of us to do that and do it in a proper way."