Whatever happened to the Plastic Bag Ordinance?

Laredo grocery bag circa 1985

Back in 2008, the city council decided to take on the trash problem caused by the commerical use of plastic bags. Stores of all kinds were to be given a certain amount of time to comply with the "new" ordinance. Needless to say, it was very controversial. Many citizens and business owners spoke out. Some were in favor and some, including the Laredo Chamber of Commerce spoke out against the ordinance.

As I was driving around (again), I noticed some wind-blown plastic bags caught against a cyclone fence. It fluttered in the wind some sort of miniture flag. Naturally, I started to wonder: if the ordance passed (which I believe it did), when is it supposed to take effect? I got a good supply of those reusable HEB bags but sometimes I forget them and am saddled with those annoying and not-so-eco-friendly plastic bags. There's no question that times change and such is "progress". I remember when the Gutierrez Brothers Grocery store on Park/Clark would deliver groceries to the surrounding vicinty. Then, stores would at least bag your groceries in strong, easy to carry, paper bags. Then came the era of "paper or plastic?" Finally, it's just plastic- 100 per cent of the time. At least HEB still bags your groceries, unless you use the self-service lane. Progress it is.