Lawmakers say that regulating use of plastic bags puts an undue burden on small businesses – and now bill will go before governor Doug Ducey

The state legislature in Arizona has passed a bill that would prohibit local cities and counties from implementing bans on the use of plastic bags.

It is now up to the governor, Doug Ducey, whether the bill will become a law.

The ban on bans would also rule out regulations prohibiting the use of plastic bags, styrofoam, cans and bottles. Furthermore, it would stop local governments from requiring businesses to report their energy use.

Arizona state congressman Warren Petersen, who introduced the legislation, said the purpose of the bill was to eliminate regulatory nightmares for local businesses.

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“I’m extremely concerned about economic freedom in this state,” Petersen said. “For me, I support individual rights and people making their own decisions.”

The bill was backed by state business groups such as the Arizona Retailers Association and the Arizona Food Marketing Alliance, according to the Arizona Republic.

But not everyone supported the bill.

“It’s going to make it harder for us to keep our state clean,’’ said congressman Ken Clark. “And if our state’s not clean, the folks who come here and spend money in our state will notice that and may not come back.”

In Phoenix alone, plastic bags lead to $1m worth of damage to recycling equipment each year.

The House passed the bill on Tuesday in a 37-23 vote. On Thursday, the bill passed the Senate in a 19-11 vote.

Only one city in Arizona, Bisbee, currently has a plastic-bag ban.

Tuscon requires stores to report how many bags they have handed out and recycled.

The plastic bag ban was not the main focus of the initial bill, according to the Arizona Republic. Petersen introduced the bill because Phoenix was considering requiring commercial buildings to report their energy use.

Environmental campaigners have spoken out against the bill. Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Club’s chapter for the Grand Canyon, said that she was outraged.

“It’s not a fixable bill. It takes away the ability to implement energy-saving and waste reduction measures,” she said.