BY REBEKAH METZLER

State House Bureau

The Maine Senate has voted unanimously to ban bisphenol-A from certain children’s products, such as bottles and sippy cups, affirming a recent lopsided vote in the House.

BPA is suspected of causing birth defects and reproductive damage, according to most medical studies.

With Tuesday’s Senate vote, Maine joins nine other states, Canada and Europe in banning BPA from some products.

Some multinational companies, such as Walmart, Toys R Us and Gerber, also have banned sales of products containing the chemical.

Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, opposes the ban, although his administration did not oppose the pending regulation during a public hearing.

LePage drew national attention to the issue when he joked at a news conference that, under the worst-case scenario, BPA exposure would result in women growing “little beards.”

LePage’s office declined to comment on the Republican-controlled Legislature’s approval of the ban.

The ban on BPA in some products, which would take effect Jan. 1, is the first to be approved under Maine Kid-Safe Products Act, a process passed in 2008 for identifying and regulating dangerous chemicals.

Lawmakers are now reviewing potential reforms to that underlying legislation.

Rebekah Metzler — 620-7016

rmetzler@mainetoday.com