Republicans in the Louisiana House stifled a proposal Wednesday that would have banned the addition of fluoride in public water systems — rejecting a burgeoning movement backed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The Louisiana House Health and Welfare Committee shot down the measure in a 4-11 vote, with six Republicans joining five Democrats to defeat the measure. All four members who voted in favor are Republicans.
The proposal would have allowed public fluoridation only if residents petitioned for a vote in their jurisdiction and a majority of registered voters cast ballots in favor — a notably steep hurdle, particularly in areas with low voter turnout.
The GOP-controlled state Senate advanced Senate Bill 2 in a 24-10 vote last month. The Louisiana Legislature’s regular session runs through June 12, so the anti-fluoride measure could be revived.
Florida adopted a law this month to ban fluoride in public drinking water, becoming the second state to do so after Utah.
The U.S. has supported community water fluoridation programs since the 1940s, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deeming it a safe, cost-effective way to improve oral health.
But Kennedy, whom President Trump appointed to lead the nation’s health care programs earlier this year, has loudly voiced skepticism of water fluoridation despite objections from dentists and other health care providers who argue it helps prevent tooth decay.
Kennedy posted on social platform X before his Senate confirmation that the Trump administration would “advise all U.S. water systems to remove fluoride from public water.” He referred to the naturally occurring substance as “industrial waste” that causes disease, though there is no scientific evidence to back up his claims.
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