One California lawmaker is looking to ensure kids and young adults can access fluoride treatment as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — a critic of fluoridated water — faces Senate confirmation to lead the nation’s health agencies. Kennedy, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has called fluoride an “industrial waste” associated with a raft of health issues such as bone cancer, thyroid disease and lower IQ. He also faced tough questions during his confirmation hearings this week for his vaccine skepticism and overseeing Medicare and Medicaid. in Sacramento, Assembly member Mia Bonta, D-Oakland, introduced AB 350, which would require Medi-Cal and private insurers to cover fluoride varnish for patients under 21 years old. “While California bills itself as a national leader, we are in the bottom tier of states concerning kid’s dental health,” Bonta said in a news release. “Fluoride varnish is a safe and effective method to prevent tooth decay, and AB 350 will ensure more Californians can access it.” Fluoride has for decades been added to drinking water around the country to help prevent cavities and tooth decay. The Centers for Disease Control and the American Dental Association support water fluoridation for public oral health.
Ted Lempert, president of advocacy organization Children Now, applauded the legislation as “a pro-kid bill” “Fluoride varnish is effective at both preventing and stopping the progression of cavities, which is the most chronic childhood condition and a major contributor to missing school,” he said. The bill, which was introduced Thursday, has no formal opposition yet. Kennedy’s concern about IQ, which he discussed during his Senate confirmation hearings, stems from an analysis of multiple studies on fluoride linking higher fluoride exposure to lower IQ, though researchers say none of the analyses were conducted in the U.S., where fluoride levels are lower, according to the New York Times. UNCERTAINTY HANGS OVER STATE BUDGET … via Kate Wolffe Besides wildfires, what could burn a hole in California’s budget this year? A political tug-of-war over natural disaster recovery, an economic or stock market downturn, and a delayed tax deadline in Los Angeles County. Those uncertainties hung over the first legislative hearing on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal, which he unveiled earlier this month.
Senate Budget Chair Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, described Trump’s recent effort freeze federal funding — which he later rescinded — as “something akin to a wildfire” and that potential federal spending cuts could “easily blow a hole in the state budget.” During the hearing, the Department of Finance said it had to do “some drills” after Trump’s executive order to figure out which programs would be affected. “There’s no way that the state can backfill these lost billions and billions of federal dollars,” said Erika Li, Chief Deputy Director for the Department of Finance. “Obviously we would have to work with the legislature to potentially make some hard decisions in regards to reductions of services and or other programs.” Legislative Analyst Gabriel Petek said his office is “being careful not to speculate too much” without having substantive proposals. He said they’re mindful of the difference between administrative actions and those that would require statutory change by Congress. “I certainly don’t think everyone in state government should be staying up all night worrying and speculating, but I do hope that someone in each agency is preparing for these overlapping issues,” said Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, D-Yolo. Weiner also highlighted how mass deportations, and large tariffs on trading partners like Mexico, China, Canada, could impact businesses and increase costs for California residents.
Other senators expressed concern about a lack of new investment for local homelessness grants and funding for Prop 36, which is expected to increase prison and jail populations by about 3,300 people this year. Some were frustrated the state is also not paying off its $20 billion in unemployment debt accrued during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Legislature and governor will continue to negotiate the budget through the spring. QUESTIONS ABOUT CA vs. TRUMP? In case you missed it, my colleague Jenavieve Hatch and I answered a bunch of questions about the first two weeks of the Trump administration and what the president’s policies mean for California. You can watch a recording at sacbee.com or on Youtube. QUOTE OF THE DAY “I’ve never, never ever advocated violence against law enforcement.” -Kash Patel, Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, in a heated exchange with California Sen. Adam Schiff during his confirmation hearing.
Original article online at: https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article299449139.html