MidHudsonNews [dot] com is reporting that members of the public spoke in favor of a new measure that would regulate the use of paper and plastic retail shopping bags in Ulster County. At the same time, they warned about adversely affecting the poor for the sake of being environmentally conscious. About a dozen people spoke at the public hearing held October 9, in Kingston, in direct response to the local law promoting the use of reusable bags and regulating the use of plastic carryout bags and recyclable paper carryout bags. The law now awaits Ulster County Executive Michael Hein's signature. It bans single use plastic bags at all covered stores and imposes a nickel fee for each paper bag. A first offense gets merchant violators a warning, followed by fines of $100, $250, and $500 for each subsequent violation, respectively. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.