Connecticut Senate Democrats want to protect state residents from the Trump Administration’s plan to remove fluoride from drinking water, legislative leaders announced on Tuesday.

The U.S. has added fluoride to drinking water since the 1940s, and it has been recognized as one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. Senator Saud Anwar, co-chair of the Public Health Committee, said Democrats propose protecting the policy.

“Now we have to put the amount of fluoride that for the citizens of Connecticut would be safe for them to consume because if we mirror what the federal government is saying then we may not have fluoride in our water,” he said.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr, Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, has said he wants to remove fluoride from drinking water.

Senator James Maroney, the co-chair of the General Law Committee, said the other proposed bill would give the state attorney general more power to prosecute price gouging.

“This would allow the attorney general to go up the supply chain to look for price gouging. It would also plan the times when this would be in effect. Not just a declared national emergency but it will give the attorney general the power to declare abnormal economic disruption,” he said.

The proposals are part of the Connecticut Senate Democrats priority bills this year.

Original article online at: https://www.wshu.org/connecticut-news/2025-01-21/ct-democrats-donald-trump-fluoride-drinking-water