KWS Labor Day Colegrove 2

In this file photo, a disposal waste operator operates a compactor at the Muskegon County Solid Waste Facility.

(KEN STEVENS)

LANSING, MI -- The Michigan Senate on Tuesday voted to ban local communities from banning plastic bags.

Senate Bill 853, introduced by Sen. Jim Stamas, R-Midland, would prevent local communities from instituting bans or putting fees on containers like bags, cups, bottles or packaging. Stamas told the Senate Commerce Committee last month that such a law would create consistency, especially for businesses that operate branches across the state and would have to abide by multiple regulations.

"This simply provides that you're not putting different regulations across the state on the containers," Stamas told the committee.

He said no Michigan community currently bans plastic bags, but some were considering it.

"We have had I believe a couple of communities that have started talking about it... we felt that it was probably better to take a proactive approach," Stamas said.

Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, said on the Senate floor Tuesday her community had been working on the issue for years.

Washtenaw County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi told the Senate Commerce Committee last month that the commission had been working on the issue for some time. They uncovered the fact that the plastic bags are jamming equipment at the local recycling facility, which spends $200,000 per year addressing malfunctions related to plastic bags. At landfills, he said, the plastic bags blow away.

"This is a solid waste problem that we face in Washtenaw County," Rabhi told the committee.

Muskegon County considered an ordinance banning plastic bags last year. But in other communities, the idea has fallen flat.

Walker Mayor Mark Huizenga said a constituent brought the idea of banning plastic bags to the city, but he heard from businesses in opposition. One business he heard from was a local butcher shop that would have had to spend $15,000 more per year on different packaging. But he also has an eye on big retailers, like Meijer and Target, who operate in many localities across the region and state.

"If we were to create an ordinance as she suggested, I can imagine the burden that retailers would have as both Meijer and Target conduct business in our neighboring city of Grandville," Huizenga told the Senate Commerce Committee.

The Senate on Tuesday approved the measure 25-12 along mostly partisan lines. All Democrats except Sen. David Knezek, D-Dearnborn, voted against the measure. Three Republicans crossed over to join the Democrats in voting against it: Sens. Tory Rocca, R-Sterling Heights; Sen. Ken Horn, R-Frankenmuth; and Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge.

Sen. Steve Bieda, D-Warren, said Tuesday he voted against it because it struck against local control.

"While there may be some arguments in support of this legislation, it seems to be part of a continuous effort to erode local control in this state," Bieda said.

The bill heads now to the House of Representatives. It would have to be approved by that body and signed by Gov. Rick Snyder to become law.

Emily Lawler is a Capitol reporter on MLive's statewide Impact Team. You can reach her at elawler@mlive.com, subscribe to her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter: @emilyjanelawler.