Following Up: Safer Toys for U.S. Children

To his credit, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stood up to an intense industry lobbying campaign in signing AB1108, by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, to ban the use of chemical plasticizers called phthalates in children's products.

  ·  San Francisco Chronicle   ·  Link to Article
What we said: To his credit, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stood up to an intense industry lobbying campaign in signing AB1108, by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, to ban the use of chemical plasticizers called phthalates in children's products. The passage of that measure was an impressive first-term accomplishment for Ma, who had successfully pushed a similar local ordinance when she was on the Board of Supervisors. The establishment of a ban in the nation's most populous state should provide the momentum for national action against these chemicals which have been linked to serious liver and reproductive-system problems." - Editorial, Oct. 16, 2007

What happened: U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein last week introduced legislation to establish a federal ban on phthalates in children's toys. Similar legislation has been introduced in the House by Reps. Hilda Solis, D-Calif., Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Darleen Hooley, D-Ore.

Quote: "Simply put, products that pose a danger to children's health should not be in the mouths of children." - Feinstein.

What you can do: Encourage senators to support the Feinstein bill. You can get contact information by going to senate.gov and clicking on "senators." Or you can reach any member of the House or Senate through the Capitol switchboard, (202) 224-3121.