Quinn’s veto of bag recycling plan stands

SPRINGFIELD — A statewide plastic shopping bag recycling program developed in Lake County was rejected by state lawmakers Thursday when they declined to override Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of the plan.

The proposal would have required manufacturers of plastic bags and films to recycle more material, but opponents decried the legislation because it wouldn’t let local communities come up with their own recycling programs or even ban the bags outright.

State Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat, pleaded with his fellow lawmakers to override Quinn, arguing the idea was good for the environment.

“We will be taking plastic bags out of landfill sites,” he said. “And we will be taking them out for generations and generations.”

Earlier this year, Grayslake teenager Abby Goldberg lobbied Quinn to veto the legislation that lawmakers approved in the spring. Quinn did, and because lawmakers didn’t vote to cross him, the proposal isn’t likely to come up in Springfield again for at least a few months.

The Senate voted 24-23 to override Quinn, but Link needed 36 votes to succeed.

Goldberg had collected thousands of petitions via the help of change.org. She wanted Grayslake to ban plastic bags, but local trustees haven’t approved the ban.