LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – An effort to remove the mandate for water fluoridation failed in the Arkansas legislature committee on Wednesday.
Senate Bill 2 aimed to remove the mandate to use fluoride in public water systems and remove the Department of Health’s ability to set limits for fluoride.
The legislation failed in the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee on a bi-partisain voice vote, with several Republican senators joining democrats in voting against it, despite it being sponsored by republicans Sen. Clint Penzo (R-Springdale) and Sen. Bryan King (R-Green Forest), with cosponsors Rep. Matt Duffield (R-Russellville) and Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R-Knoxville).
Multiple dentists testified to the committee against the bill.
The same sponsors filed a separate bill to allow voters to elect for or against water fluoridation. That bill is currently deferred.
A Department of Health handout on the Arkansas legislature website dated 2015 lists the positive aspects of fluoride, comparing it to iodized salt as a fortification of food and beverage by public health. It points to Act 197 of 2011, signed into law by former Gov. Mike Bebee, establishing the scope of water fluoridation in Arkansas.
The legislative handout also shows scientific support for fluoridation, including safety.
The legislation was filed in November 2024 and was one of the first pieces filed for the 95th General Assembly.
Original article online at: https://www.kark.com/news/politics/fluoride-bill-fails-in-arkansas-legislature-committee/