Two weeks into (and halfway through) the Oregon Legislative Assembly's 2010 Special Session, we now have a better idea of what should pass and what will have to wait. The statewide plastic bag ban has been dropped for now (as expected, we'll pick it up in 2011), but the bill (SB 1032) banning the sale of BPA-containing baby bottles and sippy cups has passed the Oregon Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee -
The Senate environment committee voted 3-2, with Democrats in favor and Republicans against, to refer Senate Bill 1032 to the Senate floor.
The bill would ban bisphenol-A, or BPA, from baby bottles and sippy cups beginning July 1, 2011. Major bottle manufacturers, Walmart and other retailers are already backing away from the ubiquitous chemical when it comes to bottles and cups for young children.
Washington's Legislature easily passed bills with similar bans recently with large, bipartisan margins.
Oregon will pass the bill as well, since Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 in both the Oregon House and the Oregon Senate. But still, I have to wonder what Oregon Republicans are thinking by voting in favor of continuing to expose our children to BPA? Shame on Brian Boquist and Jason Atkinson. Someone should tell them that even WalMart has abandoned products containing the dangerous, hormone-disrupting toxicant. Are Oregon Republicans that beholden to out-of-state chemical manufacturers? Let's hope at least a few of their fellow Republicans show some sense in their final votes on the bill. |
