SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A Democratic state lawmaker says she had a deal with a key Republican to advance a bill banning a potentially harmful chemical from some children’s beverage containers, but Republican leadership scuttled the agreement.
Democratic Sen. Jackie Dingfelder of Portland said Wednesday that GOP Rep. Vic Gilliam of Silverton approached her with an agreement to hold public hearings or votes on various bills. One of them would ban the chemical bisphenol-A — also called BPA — from baby bottles, children’s sippy cups and reusable water bottles.
Dingfelder says she upheld her end of the deal but Republican leadership refused to allow Gilliam to schedule a vote on the ban.
Gilliam says there wasn’t enough support among Republicans to advance the bill and “it’s too simplistic” to say there was a deal.
