Debate on Chemical Ban Centers on Kids’ Health
The Assembly on Tuesday rejected a bill (AB 1108) that would have banned from products for young children a chemical additive that some studies have linked to cancer and testicle and liver injuries, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Assembly member Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco), who is carrying the measure, will be able to call for another vote on the bill in the coming days. The final vote on Tuesday was 36-31, with 11 Democratic Assembly members abstaining. The measure needs a simple majority to pass out of the Assembly.
Supporters of the bill maintain that banning phthalates from products intended for use in children under age three will help protect them from any undue health risks, but opponents argue that the science on the subject is not sufficient to justify the ban (Sanders, Sacramento Bee, 5/30).