On the Radar

Styrofoam Ban

New York City has begun enforcing its ban on styrofoam, fining violators $250 for the first offense, $500 for a second, and $1000 for three or more.

The Big Apple banned styrofoam, also known as polystyrene, because it can’t be “recycled in a manner that is economically feasible” or “environmentally effective” in its recycling program, according to the Department of Sanitation.

"There's no reason to continue allowing this environmentally unfriendly substance to flood our streets, landfills and waterways," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said when he announced the ban.

Jeff Stier, a senior fellow at the Consumer Choice Center, wrote in the National Review that the ban would be “a job-killing, working-class-punishing, environmentally unnecessary scam.”

Do you support bans on single-use plastics?

Under the Radar

Banning Single-Family Zoning

Oregon is poised to effectively eliminate single-family zoning in its largest cities.

Gov. Kate Brown (D) is expected to sign House Bill 2001, which would allow developers to build up to four units of attached housing, cottage clusters, and townhouses in areas that are currently zoned exclusively for single-family homes. The legislation would only apply to cities with more than 10,000 people.

On the national level, Congress is currently considering the Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Act, which would require communities to explain why they’re not adopting housing policies meant to increase affordability and decrease discrimination.

Portland real estate agent Laura Wood told Oregon Public Radio that she’s against the law.

"I have a lot of first-time homebuyers, and they all want exactly what I want. They want a house in a neighborhood," Wood said.

Should major cities ban single-family zoning?

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