A bill that would impose a 10-cent fee on single-use plastic and paper bags passed the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection Thursday. 

It will now go to the Committee on Economic Revitalization and Business. 

While the bill has strong support from the Department of Land and Natural Resources, environmental groups, and even the grocery stores, it is attracting some push back. 

The private, Tax Foundation of Hawaii submitted strongly worded testimony against the bill:

If the intent of this proposal is truly to protect the enviromnent from the misuse and abuse of single-use bags,thenjustbantheuseofsuchbagsasthethreeNeighborIslandshavealreadydone. This disingenuous attempt by lawmakers is so transparent in its attempt to raise new revenues that it is an insult to taxpayers who are already overburdened and who have had to endure the addition of more and more taxes in recent years as lawmakers try  to close the budget gap. Retailers might just welcome such a ban as it would reduce their costs since they would not have to provide bags as a courtesy. Ah, but that would mean that there would not be another source of money for lawmakers to spend.