BY SARAH ROSS

SALEM- In a Tuesday morning vote, the Senate shot down a bill to ban the chemical bisphenol A in baby bottles and sippy cups.

The bill, carried on the floor by Sen. Jackie Dingfelder, D-Portland, lacked just a single vote to pass in the legislature’s smaller body. Failing on a 15-15 margin, three Democrats voted with the Senate Republicans to oppose the bill.

The legislation, SB 1032, was narrowed from its earliest form, which included banning the chemical in cans as well as in bottles. This early legislation was strongly opposed by industry representatives who feared the ban would bring an end to the canned food business in Oregon. Following these concerns, the bill was tapered to include just children’s sippy cups and baby bottles.

Similar bans have been enacted already in Minnesota and Connecticut; and proposals reducing BPA have been proceeding in Washington, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

Proponents of the bill believe the chemical is a danger to children, potentially causing early onset of puberty, liver abnormalities, diabetes, and some types of cancer. However, the bill’s opponents claim the chemical is not a real danger in small quantities, such as those amounts used to make bottles and cans.

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