The Arkansas Legislature exists to serve the people of Arkansas who elected them to represent their interests in Little Rock, not to pursue their own special agendas at the expense of depriving individual municipalities of the right to make decisions on the local level

The same can be said about a statewide water fluoridation mandate that passed in the Arkansas House on Tuesday. When given the chance, voters in Texarkana overwhelmingly defeated a proposal that would have added fluoride to the local water supply-an act of futility if state water fluoridation becomes law. And there are concerns about the potential for chemical toxicity, so much so that makers of fluoridated toothpaste post warnings on the tubes instructing consumers-especially children-not to ingest the toothpaste.

In all fairness, these bills were proposed with the best of intentions-ensuring the general and dental health of all Arkansans. But they’re being forced on local governments without their consent or, in the case of fluoride, their input. In most cases the Legislature is right to enact laws that work at the state level, but these two issues should be left for the people of the state to decide for themselves. Anyway, there should have been bigger issues for the Legislature to worry about this session.

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