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Public health versus personal freedom was the central debate during discussion Wednesday of a bill that would eliminate a requirement that Nebraska communities fluoridate their water supplies. LB147 from State Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair was up for public hearing before the Nebraska Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee.
In all, eight testifiers supported the measure compared to 10 opponents, with an additional 53 submitted comments in support and 105 in opposition. Hansen A 2008 state law required certain Nebraska cities add fluoride to their water supplies, offering a window until 2010 for local governments to opt out of the mandate. Hansen noted that out of the 61 communities that put the issue on the ballot during that window, 49 chose to opt out.
"People don't want to be forced to take medications in their water," Hansen said. People are also reading..
. LB147 is a version of a bill Hansen proposed last year, which would have required a referendum vote for cities to keep fluoride in their water supply. Hansen said evidence is growing that fluoride in water has negative health benefits, particularly for children.
He noted research that showed a link between high levels of fluoride consumption and lower IQ levels in children. A federally published study that found that link also said : "It is important to note that there were insufficient data to determine if the low fluoride level of 0.7 mg/L currently recommended for U.
S. community water supplies has a negative effect on children’s IQ." Hansen referred to fluoride as "toxic waste," "hazardous material," and a "neurotoxin," citing other studies.
He mentioned that tubes of toothpaste advise consumers to not ingest it, and claimed the fluoride used in toothpaste is cleaner than the chemical version used in water. He told committee members if they have even a microscopic doubt about the benefits of fluoride, they should advance LB147. "Let's not use our water system for drug distribution," he said.
Stuart Cooper, executive director of the Fluoride Action Network, said Nebraska is one of 12 states that mandates fluoride in its water, but noted that nine of those 12 states have pending bills this year to ease their mandates. Utah recently banned fluoride in water, and Florida is also taking steps in a similar direction. Other supporters of LB147 mostly consisted of Nebraskans who argued they want to have the option for their communities to remove fluoride.
Stacey Skold said the mandate is effectively a medical intervention without informed consent. But several opponents said there are multiple health benefits to fluoride in water. Timothy Tesmer, chief medical officer for the state Department of Health and Human Services, said adding fluoride to water is one of the most successful health interventions in history, and he claimed the benefits far outweigh any risks.
Jessica Meeske, president of the Nebraska Dental Association, said water fluoridation is safe and cost effective. In her practice in Hastings, which has never had fluoridated water, dentists' schedules are filled with children needing treatment for tooth decay. In comparison, Superior, one of the first communities to fluoridate its water, has much lower rates of tooth decay in children.
Tooth decay in children is not only dangerous, Meeske said, it can impact academic performance. When a child needs a cavity filled, they often have to miss part of a school day to do so. Referencing supporters' arguments that they want a choice in what goes into their water, she countered that children never have that choice.
"These kids don't get to choose," Meeske said. "They don't choose where they live. They don't choose if their town is fluoridated.
" Opponents claimed that most of the studies cited by supporters were from outside the U.S., and therefore were not reliable to use as a basis to support LB147.
Ann Anderson Berry, representing the Nebraska Medical Association, said the negative impacts on children's IQ has only been linked to fluoride doses over two times the recommended limit. "That's what this is all about," she said. "It's getting the dose right.
" How a bill becomes a law in the Nebraska Legislature Top Journal Star photos for March 2025 (From left) Oakland-Craig's Sabrina Rost (11), Oakland-Craig's Carolyn Magnusson (13) and Oakland-Craig's Brinley Burton (15) celebrate winning the Class C-2 state championship game on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln. Rob Andersen (left) helps Keiron Taylor put on a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Personal Protective Equipment suit during HazMat inventory and training on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, at the Nebraska Task Force One Warehouse in Lincoln.
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