After years of calling for stronger labeling requirements for non-flushable wipes to avoid clogged drains and expensive repairs, New Jersey state Sen. Joe Cryan introduced a dramatic measure earlier this year that would have outright banned the sale of the wipes and fined businesses tens of thousands of dollars for selling them.

Now that bill is expected to merge during a legislative hearing Monday with another measure that would require only that non-flushable wipes be properly labeled, Cryan, a Democrat, said. 

It would have been “ridiculous” to prohibit the sale of wipes, Cryan conceded, saying his initial plan brought attention to the problem of drains clogged with dirty wipes. He said the “amount of abuse” he received after introducing the bill was worth it to “help get something effective moving along.”