Serving Queen Anne & Magnolia Since 1919 www.QueenAnneNews.com
OCTOBER 8, 2025
VOL. 106, NO. 41
Lawmakers Revisit WA’s Plastic Bag Restrictions The fee for a plastic shopping bag is set to rise to 12 cents in January
By Emily Fiztgerald
Washington State Standard
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ashington shoppers will pay 4 cents more per plastic grocery bag starting in January. But the bags themselves won’t get any thicker for at least another two years as lawmakers fine-tune the state’s single-use plastic bag restrictions. The price increase is a part of a law passed in 2020 banning
“Unsettled questions remain about imposing requirements for thicker bags.” some thinner, single-use plastic bags statewide and creating regulations for retailers offering carryout bags to customers. Approximately 80,000 Washington businesses are affected by the law, according to the state Department of Commerce.
Under the law, paper and plastic bags have to be made with 40% recycled content, and plastic bags must be 2.25 mils thick and marked as “reusable.” The standard thickness for plastic grocery bags was previously 0.5 mils. Customers are required, under the law, to pay a fee for a paper or plastic bag. The revenue from bag fees stays with the retailer to help cover the costs of meeting the state requirements. The law also allows for single-use compostable bags, which don’t have a per-bag fee. The law set the initial fee for both paper and plastic at 8 cents per bag, but pre-scheduled a price increase for plastic bags to go into effect Jan. 1, 2026. Once in effect, plastic bags will cost 12 cents per bag, while the fee for paper bags will stay at 8 cents. The 2020 law also scheduled an increase in the required bag thickness, from 2.5 mils to 4 mils, to take effect in January 2026. But legislation passed this year delayed that increase for two years.
The delay gives the Legislature time to revisit the state’s reusable bag policies and make further adjustments, lawmakers said. To deter retailers from making the switch to thicker bags early, retailers who sell bags thicker than 2.5 mils between 2026 and 2028 will be penalized 4 cents a bag on top of the standard 12cent fee beginning in January.
Local Author Continues ‘Sheriff Red Mysteries’
Norlander has more “Sheriff Red Mysteries” on the way.
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Magnolia Welcomes LS Orthodontics, Led by Nationally Recognized Orthodontist Staff Report
Readers were introduced to the author’s grittier side of writing through Sheriff Red Hammergren, the first woman sheriff in a small Minnesota town which brings its own set of challenges for her in a traditionally “man’s world” of back country law enforcement. As Norlander explained about Sheriff Red, “She was hired as a dispatcher then a deputy to the current sheriff. She married him and when he died, his dying wish was that she would take over for him. The Hammergrens have been sheriff in that county forever. She has to live up to that legacy, which is part of the challenge with her.” The second novel in the series, “The Pines Were Watching,” published last week. Here we find Sheriff Red caught up in a gruesome murder quandary when local public health nurse Joanie Crea is strangled to death on the grounds of the decaying Grandgeorge estate. The first suspect is Grandgeorge heir apparent Derek Grandgeorge who is already seen as a rather strange character always wearing a green jacket even in the hot Minnesota summer months. It isn’t long before another body is found, this one with Crea’s house key in the victim’s mouth. This sets the townsfolk on edge, and Sheriff Red as well since she
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agnolia Village has a new reason to smile. LS Orthodontics, founded by board-certified orthodontist Dr. Laura Shim, opened its doors last month above Starbucks on McGraw Street. The boutique practice specializes in custom-tailored braces, clear aligners, and retainers for all ages right in the heart of the neighborhood. Dr. Shim was recently named one of Incisal Edge Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40 Dentists in America”, an award honoring the nation’s most innovative and forward-thinking dental professionals. While she is proud of the recognition, she says her true focus is bringing down-to-earth connection and cutting-edge personalized care to her own community through LS Orthodontics. “For years I dreamed of creating a place that’s authentically caring and built on the philosophy that every child and adult is unique,” she said. “It’s the kind of place where I’d want to be treated myself.” Dr. Shim received her Doctor of Dental PHOTOS COURTESY OF DR. LAURA SHIM
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ollowing Seattle-based author Linda Norlander’s popular “Cabin by the Lake” series of mystery novels, she has now embarked on a new journey of mysteries that she has such a knack for writing. Norlander’s “Sheriff Red Mysteries” was launched this past March with the publication of “And the Lake Will Take Them.”
The penalty was part of the amendment to the bag law that lawmakers passed this year. Under the law, the penalty will be passed to the customer, increasing the total per-bag price to 16 cents. Revenue from the penalty will be deposited into the state’s waste reduction, recycling and litter control account. The 4 mil-thick bags are not widely used and retailers will “do
everything they can” to avoid the penalty, Brandon Houskeeper of the Northwest Grocery Retail Association said during a House Environment and Energy Committee work session on Monday. Houskeeper and Department of Ecology Solid Waste Program Manager Peter Lyon each confirmed Monday that, while Ecology has received over 800 complaints of bag ban violations since the law went into effect in 2022, no businesses have been fined for non-compliance. Ecology staff and retailers have been successfully working together to address violations as they occur, Houskeeper and Lyon said. Even though the bag fees have helped offset some of the costs, businesses are paying substantially more for the bags than they make back from the fees. Depending on the manufacturer, plastic bags cost between 10 and 39 cents per bag to make
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Dr. Laura Shim.
Medicine degree from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. She worked as a general dentist for several years before graduating with a Masters degree and Certificate in Advanced Education in Orthodontics from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. Her journey took her across the U.S. and abroad - which she says has shaped her ability to listen to her patients. Her Magnolia practice combines careful attention to detail with the most progressive technology and modern comfort solutions, creating a boutique, patient-focused orthodontic experience. With her being the owner and sole dedicated doctor in her single location, her goal is to provide consistent care to all of her patients. Beyond the clinic, Dr. Shim is active in the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce and has a history of volunteer work, including dental mission trips abroad. October also happens to be National Orthodontic Health Month and Shim hopes to share dental health tips with the community as she builds her practice. LS Orthodontics is currently open Tuesday through Thursday with early and late hours - although she aims to open Mondays and Fridays next year. Saturday consultations are available by appointment. To learn more or schedule a complimentary consultation, visit lsorthoseattle.com