Rick Karlin reports in the Times Union that the Albany County Legislature voted Dec. 16 to ban restaurants handing out plastic straws and cutlery, but did not vote on a clean air law. Lawmakers voted 29-to-7 in favor of the plastic ban. In March, New York's single-use plastic bag ban goes into effect, and this week Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he wants a ban on single-use Styrofoam and polystyrene food containers and packing material, often known as packing peanuts. The plastic straw and cutlery ban in Albany County goes into effect six months from now. Restaurants are getting used to these sort of regulations. "In broad strokes, we understand the need to do this," said Kevin Dugan, government affairs director for New York Restaurant Association. Read more about this story in the Times Union.