The House Commerce Committee approved a bill banning plastic bags among large retailers on the Outer Banks.

Lawmakers adjusted the bill at the request of the N.C. Retail Merchants Association, who no longer oppose it. The bill already allowed retailers to switch to paper bags made from recycled material if they also offered a refund equal to the cost of paper bags to customers who use their own reusable bags. The bill's goal is to get stores and customers to switch to reusable bags, such as the cloth totes sold in grocery stores.

The new version of the bill allows retailers to offer coupons or loyalty card reward points instead of a cash refund.

The bill, strongly backed by Senate President Pro Tem Marc Basnight, now goes to the House floor.

Sen. Marc Basnight wants to ban plastic bags in the Outer Banks.

The Democratic Senate leader is pushing a bill that would ban plastic shopping bags in coastal counties that he represents. If successful, the pilot program could be implemented statewide.

Shoppers in Dare, Currituck and Hyde counties would receive bags made of 100 percent recycled paper, which cost more, or bring their own reusable bags.

Last week, Basnight began using paper bags for takeout orders at his restaurant.

Environmentalists blame the bags for causing problems with litter and harming waterborne creatures, but retailers warned that the recycled bags cost more.

"The cost gets passed on to consumers," said Andy Ellen, a lobbyist for the N.C. Retail Merchants Association. (N&O)

The state Senate passed a major fix for the State Health Plan today that eliminates a competitive threat to independent pharmacists but increases the cost to taxpayers by another $53 million and raises health insurance costs for the dependents of state workers, teachers and retirees.

Pharmacists and their lobbyists had stalled passage of the bill over concerns that deep discounts they would have been required to provide to belong to a new pharmacy network component would drive them out of business, Dan Kane reports.

They reached agreement with the bill's sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand of Fayetteville, to drop the network, but it was contingent upon their helping the plan save $38 million in pharmacy costs over the next two years.

"We're not getting off by any means," said Andy Ellen, a lobbyist for the N.C. Retail Merchants Association. "We have a lot of skin in this."

The network would have saved taxpayers an estimated $91 million, so the compromise adds another $53 million to the plan's cost. The bill passed by a 28 to 18 vote.

More after the jump.

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A House bill would tax money wire transfers made by illegal immigrants.

Rep. George Cleveland, a Jacksonville Republican who sponsored the bill, said it would be a way to counter the millions of dollars sent to family in other countries by undocumented workers.

But opponents said the bill was unworkable and would open the door to discrimination.

Marisol Jimenez McGee, a lobbyist for El Pueblo, said illegal immigrants already pay sales tax and payroll tax on their earnings.

An attorney for the N.C. Retail Merchants Association said store owners would be forced to require identification of every single wire transfer to avoid lawsuits. Cleveland dismissed the idea:

"If a fella comes in with a pair of shaggy boots on, jeans and a T-shirt, and he's got a straw hat on -- I mean, come on, give me a break." (AP)

The bill remains in a House committee.