A proposal allowing private water system shareholders to opt out of countywide water fluoridation programs was approved by the Senate on Tuesday.

SB29, sponsored by Sen. Dennis Stowell, R-Parowan, will now head to the House for consideration.

Sen. Allen Christensen, R-Ogden, objected to the proposal, noting that it had been brought before the Legislature on previous occasions and failed.

“We’ve put some lipstick on it. We’ve given it a new name. It’s still an ugly bill,” Christensen said during preliminary debate on the bill Monday.

Christensen said the state Department of Health, the Salt Lake County Health Department, the Salt Lake County Council and the Salt Lake County Mayor were all opposed to the bill.

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