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Prince William Co. board considers plastic bag tax

It could soon cost you to use plastic bags at grocery stores in Prince William County, Virginia.

The county board is considering adding a 5-cent tax per plastic bag. Certain items like meat, fish and poultry would be exempt.

“You could alternatively choose to perhaps buy one of the bags the stores offer,” county finance director Michelle Attreed said. “You could bring your own bag.”

Revenue collected would be put toward cleaning up the environment, picking up litter and reducing pollution.

“This isn’t a revenue-generator. It’s really about getting rid of the plastic bag stuff I see everywhere,” said Ann Wheeler, chair of the Prince William Board of Supervisors.

The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation last year allowing localities to impose a bag tax.

A similar tax exists in D.C. and in Maryland’s Montgomery and Howard counties.

Public drinking may be allowed every weekend in Manassas

This article was written by WTOP’s news partner InsideNoVa.com and republished with permission. Sign up for InsideNoVa.com’s free email subscription today. Manassas officials want to let the good times roll. Bourbon Street it is not, but Old Town’s alcohol laws could become even more liberal in the coming weeks, as a request to allow public drinking every weekend will go before the city council Monday night for a vote. If approved by the council, the city’s request will then go to the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Authority, which would grant permits for public drinking within certain bounds for every Friday to Sunday under a new state law that was sponsored by Sen. Jeremy McPike, a Democrat whose 29th District includes the city.
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