KEY TAKEAWAYS: Proposal allows local voters to decide on adding or removing fluoride Amendment removes statewide ban, requires 15% petition threshold Dental and public health groups warn of negative health impacts Bill advances to full Louisiana Senate for consideration   A new effort t o remove fluoride from public drinking water supplies in Louisiana would allow local residents to vote on the matter, though dental professionals say it would be a step backwards in health care. Changes made Wednesday to a bill Sen. Mike Fesi, R-Houma, has sponsored would create an avenue for local elections to either add or remove fluoride. Fesi’s proposal was originally similar to one he authored last year that would have banned fluoride from all water supplies. It advanced from the Louisiana Senate before stalling in a House of Representatives committee. Fesi presented his new proposal Wednesday to the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, labeling fluoride a “hazardous waste” that he blames for lowering the IQs of children and other health issues. Research backing those claims has been highly criticized by most recognized dental and public health organizations, who point to the extremely low levels of fluoride (0.7 parts per million) added to drinking water. The Louisiana Dental Association and other state health organizations oppose Fesi’s bill, noting that less than 40% of Louisiana residents live in water districts that add fluoride. They point to health studies that show improved long-term dental health in areas with fluoridated water. Fesi said he is perplexed as to why dentists continue to use fluoride in their practices and support adding it to water supplies. The senator indicated he would opt for health safety over healthy teeth. “Whatever the reason the dental association doesn’t want to treat cavities is unknown to me,” Fesi said. An outright statewide ban on fluoride is the only way under state law to remove it from individual water systems, Fesi said. If a city or parish wanted to add fluoride back to their water, 15% of affected voters would have to raise a petition to put the question on an election ballot. Sen Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette, argued areas that want to keep fluoride in their water should not be forced to mount a campaign to have it restored. With Fesi’s support, Boudreaux amended the bill to avoid a statewide ban. Instead, any locality that wants to remove fluoride would need to meet the same 15% threshold for a petition to hold a vote on the matter. Fesi’s amended bill was advanced to the full Senate. The 15% of voters needed for a successful petition is a lower bar than what Louisiana requires for efforts to recall elected officials, which have rarely been successful. The minimum signatures needed for a recall range from 20% in areas with 100,000 or more voters to 40% for locales with fewer than 1,000 voters. ...read more read less