Oregon Public Broadcasting

A proposal to limit toxic chemicals in children’s toys is on life support in the Washington State Senate. And with a key deadline looming – the bill may be doomed.

Supporters say industry lobbying and poison pill amendments are to blame. Olympia correspondent Austin Jenkins has details.

The legislation sets strict limits on the amount of lead, cadmium and phthalates that would be allowed in toys sold in Washington.

The bill cleared the State House unanimously. But it’s run into trouble in the Senate.

Nick Federici is a lobbyist for the Washington Toxics Coalition – a group pushing the legislation. He describes the developments as a lot of last minute mischief.

Nick Federici: “The toy industry has hired a cadre of lobbyists at $50,000 for the last two weeks of session to try to kill the bill and there’s a number of amendments that people are offering. Some trying to do good things, but others just trying to gut the bill that are causing us problems.”

One amendment that threatens to derail the legislation has nothing to do with toys. It would require parental notification before children receive a vaccine with mercury in it.

The toy industry says it supports a version of the legislation that would allow higher levels of chemicals in toys than is permitted in the bill that passed the House.

Friday night is the deadline to pass the toy safety bill off the Senate floor.