With 22 legislators abstaining, the California Assembly voted 31-27 Monday not to ban chemical bisphenol A in baby products. BPA is one of those things you’d like to keep out of your kid; the bill would have banned it from bottles, sippy cups, and other containers for tots. Legislators also voted 36-33 (with 11 abstentions) against a bill that would have banned equally icky chemical PFOA from food packaging. The Food and Drug Administration released a draft report Friday concluding that BPA in food containers poses no health threat, and critics questioned whether it was timed to influence California legislators. In addition, Big Chemical had lobbied hard against both bills, papering districts with brochures insinuating that every item in a full grocery bag would be kaput if the legislation passed; another ad depicted an empty grocery bag on a dry lake bed. The wee bright side: Both bills were granted reconsideration, and could be resurrected for another vote this month.
