State Sen. Art Linares bristles at the suggestion that his appointment of a jewelry industry insider to a task force that is examining the safe level of cadmium in children's jewelry showed partiality toward the industry.

"I advocated to have a gentleman named Brent, who has been in children's jewelry industry for over 25 years. He is an advocate for making sure that children's jewelry is safe for everyone. That's what he spends his career doing," Linares explained at his Sept. 16 debate at the Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School.

Democrat Emily Bjornberg and Green Party candidate Colin Bennett are challenging the first-term Republican in the 33rd District. You can view the debate on theday.com. I was asking the questions.

It was during the debate, sponsored by The Day and the Chamber of Commerce of Eastern Connecticut, and with help from the League of Women Voters of SECT, that Bjornberg pressed the incumbent on the appointment.

Linares had the choice of serving on the task force or appointing someone. The Brent that Linares appointed refers to Brent Cleaveland, executive director of the Fashion Jewelry and Accessories and Trade Association (FJATA) of Rhode Island.

During an interview Thursday, Linares called my use of "industry insider" to describe Mr. Cleaveland pejorative. I consider accurate.

Cleaveland's motivation is helping an industry that now faces a hodge-podge of cadmium regulations in different states. Cadmium is a carcinogen that can cause serious health problems if ingested. Tests a few years ago showed children's jewelry imported from China had high levels of the heavy metal and, given the propensity for kids to put things in their mouth, it raised legitimate concerns.

Different states have imposed different rules concerning safe levels of cadmium in children's jewelry, making it difficult for manufacturers.

"Our industry is at a critical crossroad, unfairly attacked by consumer groups, becoming a political punching bag for members of Congress and state legislators, and the target of regulators," wrote Cleaveland on his FJATA website.

The American Society for Testing and Materials recommends a standard of no more than 300 parts per million, which the industry wants adopted as a uniform standard. Cleaveland led the charge that got such a law passed in Rhode Island, a big jewelry industry state.

Connecticut's tougher standard of 75 ppm was to begin July 1, but the legislature last session appeared headed for adopting the 300 ppm rule.

Concerned the state was moving too fast in buying the industry's line, Rep. Diana Urban, a Democrat representing Stonington and North Stonington and the co-chair of the Committee on Children, pushed through legislation to delay any decision until a task force had a chance to examine the issue.

Linares is also on the Committee on Children and supported creation of the task force. He said he selected Cleaveland, who he had heard testify, because of his expertise on the subject, not to show deference to any special interest.

The 16-member task force ended up with significant industry representation. Rep. Whit Betts, a Republican from Bristol, appointed another industry insider - Anthony DeGeorge, director of quality assurance for Fashion Accessories in Rhode Island and a FJATA board member - to serve in his place on the task force. The legislation also required inclusion of an industry representative, with that slot filled by David Newman, another FJATA board member.

The task force is supposed to report its recommendations to the legislature by Jan. 15.

In the affluent 33rd District, stretching from the shoreline communities of Deep River, Lyme, Old Saybrook and Westbrook north to Colchester, Bjornberg could cause some damage to Linares' re-election chances if she can make the case that the incumbent put support for an industry ahead of children's welfare.

Linares characterizes the criticism as unfair. It demonstrates that Bjornberg does not have a handle on how the legislative process works, he said.

From my perspective, she seems to have a pretty good handle on things. And challenging an appointment made by your opponent is definitely fair game.

The incumbent senator appointed someone he said will help the task force reach an informed decision that will protect public health. But in appointing an executive in the jewelry industry to recommend how to regulate that industry, he opened himself to attack. That's just politics.