A.G. Gancarski
A Florida Farm Bill backed by Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is moving through the House and is wading directly into the debate over water fluoridation.
The Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee is the latest panel to advance Rep. Kaylee Tuck’s legislation (HB 651). And this time around, the public showed up in favor of a provision that would ban Florida cities from fluoridating water.
While the legislation covers a lot of ground, the issue of “additives” in municipal water supplies took center stage yet again, with Democrats pressing the issue.
Rep. Michelle Rayner wondered why fluoride required a “preemption.”
Tuck noted that the bill covers all additives, and rejected the premise that banning fluoride in the water supply would lead to more cavities.
As opposed to the bill’s previous stop, people showed up to speak out against forced fluoridation.
Susan Clark, a former research assistant at the Harvard School of Public Health, made the scientific case against fluoridation, saying it creates “neurologic problems.”
“It’s the primary ingredient in rat poison,” Clark said.
Lyn Hartman, a Melbourne Beach resident who has dual German-American citizenship, also spoke in favor of the bill’s fluoride preemption and the “yearning” Floridians have to “remove toxins” from water.
“Nobody’s woker than Germans. And Germans don’t have fluoride in the water,” Hartman said.
Mya Hahn, the Vice President of React Research and a speech-language pathologist, also spoke on behalf of the “MAHA Florida” Coalition in advocating for clean drinking water without “forced additives,” and “informed consent” for families.
“This bill restores our choice. It demands oversight and transparency, ensuring water hydrates, not medicates,” Hahn said. “As a mom, I fear for my kids’ brains. As a specialist, I see neurodivergent children suffer from environmental harms. We deserve a way to say no to this risk, and we have a right to clean and safe drinking water.”
This bill is supported by Heritage Action, the Heartland Institute, the National Rifle Association, the Florida Agritourism Association, the Florida Poultry Association, the Florida Farm Bureau Federation and the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association. It has one committee stop ahead. The package is also moving in the Senate
The bill covers a lot of other ground, including banning psychedelic mushrooms and the representation of a plant product as milk or meat.
It would offer a ballot initiative where voters could choose to exempt agricultural lands from property taxes. The measure would provide grants for fiscally constrained counties to get electric vehicle charging stations.
It would also allow schools to maintain agricultural spaces for the Future Farmers of America and the 4H Club by exempting the schools from local zoning that would otherwise ban it.
The bill also would ban drones on agricultural lands. Tuck said the language adds “ag operations” to criminal statute.
Mail theft is already a federally banned activity, but the bill would give the state enforcement ability.
