"Seattle Voters Don't Buy Shopping-Bag Charge"

"Seattle voters firmly rejected Referendum 1, which would have made Seattle the first city in the nation to go after both plastic and paper shopping bags.

The defeat -- 58 percent to 42 percent, with more than half of the expected votes counted -- means an ordinance passed by the Seattle City Council last year will not take effect. Had Referendum 1 passed, grocers, convenience marts and drugstores would have charged shoppers 20 cents for each bag they were provided at checkout counters.

Supporters of the charge pinned the loss on a heavily funded opponent that outspent them 15-to-1, but they said the campaign had laid the grass-roots foundation for future efforts.

'Big money can come in and run deceptive scare campaigns, but in the end, people who care will defeat the people who scare,' said Green Bag Campaign spokesman Brady Montz."

Marc Ramirez reports for the Seattle Times August 19, 2009.