Patricia R. Doxsey reports in The Daily Freeman that Ulster County lawmakers will take up a proposal that would only allow plastic drinking straws in restaurants and fast-food establishments in the county if customers ask for them. The Legislature’s Environment and Energy Committee consider the bill at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7. The committee delayed the proposal in October, as members had many questions about the issue. The “Single-Use Straw Available on Request” law in Ulster County would make a tiny dent in enormous amount of plastic waste on the planet. The plastic straws do not break down, and the National Wildlife Federation, a not-for-profit conservation group, claims 100,000 marine animals and more than 1 million seabirds die each year from ingesting plastic. “We just want to make it so people pay more attention," said David Donaldson, a Democrat from Kingston co-sponsoring the measure. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.