By Jim Saunders | News Service of Florida
TALLAHASSEE — The Florida House on Tuesday gave final approval to a bill that would prevent local governments from adding fluoride to water supplies and take aim at labeling of plant-based products as milk, meat and eggs.
The Republican-controlled House voted 88-27 to pass the bill (SB 700), which also includes a series of other issues related to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Senate passed the bill April 16, which means it is now ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
The bill came amid debates in cities and counties across the state about ending the decades-old practice of adding fluoride to public water supplies to improve dental health. Rep. Danny Alvarez, a Hillsborough County Republican who helped sponsor the bill in the House, said government agencies should not decide whether to put drugs and chemicals in people’s bodies.
“This is not about fluoride,” Alvarez said. “This is about your liberty.”
But bill opponents said adding fluoride to water supplies is a public-health measure that, in part, helps protect children from having cavities and other dental problems. Rep. Daryl Campbell, D-Fort Lauderdale, described the bill as a “gift to conspiracy theories.”
“Not only is it (water fluoridation) safe, it’s a game-changer for dental health,” Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, said.
DeSantis and state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo support removing fluoride from water supplies. If DeSantis signs the bill, Florida would follow the lead of Utah, which this year became the first state to ban fluoride in public water supplies.
While the bill — dubbed the “Florida Farm Bill” — involves numerous issues, almost all of the debate surrounding it has focused on the fluoridation ban and placing restrictions on labeling plant-based food.
The bill would set up a process that could lead to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services adopting rules that would prevent the sale of plant-based products “mislabeled” as milk, meat, poultry or eggs.
That process would be triggered if at least 11 of 14 states pass similar legislation. Those 14 states are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.
Rep. Kaylee Tuck, a Lake Placid Republican who helped sponsor the bill, said the labeling restrictions are aimed at preventing confusion among consumers.
“The issue is making sure the consumer knows what they are buying,” Tuck said.
But opponents disputed that consumers are confused about buying products such as oat milk or almond milk. Eskamani, who said she is a vegan, argued that the goal of the bill is to hinder demand for such products by creating confusion.
“All the labels are very clear,” Rep. Ashley Gantt, D-Miami, said.
Four Democrats joined Republicans in voting for the bill. They were Rep. Kevin Chambliss, D-Homestead; Rep. Kimberly Daniels, D-Jacksonville; Rep. Gallop Franklin, D-Tallahassee; and Rep. Johanna Lopez, D-Orlando.