Given a companion bill in the House is most likely to be approved, there's a good chance Washintonians could lose their single-use plastic shopping bags statewide.

The Senate Energy and Technology Committee Thursday passed SB (Senate Bill) 5323, which would ban the use of single-use plastic shopping bags. They're the standard 'two handle' bags we've used for years to tote groceries, line trashcans etc.

The bill passed the committee, then will head to the Senate Floor for a vote. Democrats hold a slight majority in the Senate, a large one in the House.

The companion, or similar bill to this, HB 1205, is scheduled to be heard-voted on February 7th.  No timetable is yet listed for when the ban would go into effect IF this clears the legislature and is signed into law.

Various environmental groups were pushing for it for some time, and now with enough Democratic legislators, it appears they will be able to push it through.

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