Washington State Gov. Christine Gregoire may veto legislation that would be the toughest in the nation at making sure toys are free of (or low in) lead, cadmium, phthalates, and other toxins. Even though a slew of amendments exempt certain playthings, from tricycles to pellet guns to sleds, Big Toy officials have warned Gregoire that the bill is still too restrictive, since it doesn’t exempt lead solder used on computer components in the innards of some toys. But the bill already exempts batteries, software, and calculators; those exemptions would cover inner lead solder, says Nick Federici of the Washington Toxics Coalition, who has met with Gregoire to urge her to pass the bill as is.
