Fluoridation Must Be Returned to Local Control
*** Support SB 299, Local Control Bill ***
Senator Bryan King of Green Forest has a MUCH needed Local Control bill, SB 299, that needs to be supported after it’s amended! He is saying once again that he does NOT have the votes to get it through the Senate Committee on City, County and Local Affairs. The bill is filed and waiting to be amended Monday, but it is moving slowly! Legislators have filed bills since November 15, 2016, and it’s time that this bill comes off the sidelines and gets brought up to the plate for some action!
Senate Bill 299 filed by Senator King is titled: An Act To Amend the Law Concerning Water Districts; To Allow Voters to Elect “For” and “Against” Water Fluoridation.
You may remember that in 2011, there was a mandate by the state legislature that all public water systems in Arkansas with more than 5,000 customers fluoridate drinking water supplies. HOWEVER, residents of many cities and towns of Arkansas have voted AGAINST fluoridation, and Secure Arkansas does not support mandatory water fluoridation and never has. We do support local control.
The fluoridation chemical suppliers want it, but We the People don’t! END OF STORY.
We are advising everyone who supports local control regarding fluoridation to call members on this small committee to ask for the bill to be allowed to be heard in committee before the Arkansas 2017 session is over! So, if you are hoping this bill gets to see the light of day on at least a committee vote, then you need to make some calls AND send some emails quickly!
A quote from Senator King:
“Getting legislation out of a committee is like fishing,” King said. “You are not going to catch a fish unless you put a hook in the water. If people don’t contact members of this committee, there is no chance of changing someone’s mind. Getting five votes will be an uphill battle. Try to get the committee members to be open-minded about it. Ask them to give people some local decision making power.”
An amendment to SB 299 will be coming up in the full Arkansas Senate on Monday, March 6, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. This proposed legislation is on the agenda of the Senate Committee on City, County, and Local Affairs on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 272 of the Arkansas State Capitol and may be deferred, if ever brought up. But SB 299 must be voted on this session so we can find out who the legislators are who don’t want to allow local control of water fluoridation. (Secure Arkansas will provide the amended version as soon as it is adopted.)
Note: In past General Assembly sessions (in previous years), this bill was heard in the Senate Public Health and Welfare committee, and Senators Eads (R, Springdale), Flippo (R, Bull Shoals) and Flowers (D, Pine Bluff) who are on that committee are ALSO on the Senate Committee on City, County, and Local Affairs — the committee in which this bill needs to be heard. Senator Flowers is on record voting against any type of legislation like this in past sessions.
ACTION: Contact ALL committee members – even if they are NOT in your district – and tell them that you support local control and you want SB 299 to be heard in their committee! Also, tell them NOT to shut us out this session!
When you contact Committee Chair, Senator Alan Clark, tell him to get this bill moving in committee!
You may copy and paste the list of emails into your “TO” box in your email service and send ONE email to all of the committee members to save time. Be sure to list your name and county of residence at the end of your email.
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Linda.Collins-Smith@senate.ar. |
Contact information for the Senate Committee on City, County and Local Affairs:
- Sen. Alan Clark, CHAIR (501) 262-3360, alan.clark@senate.ar.gov
- Sen. Uvalde Lindsey, VICE CHAIR, (479) 444-6752, uvalde.lindsey@senate.ar.gov
- Sen. Will Bond, (501) 396-5400, Will.Bond@senate.ar.gov
- Sen. Scott Flippo, (870) 421-3420, Scott.Flippo@senate.ar.gov
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Sen. Linda Collins-Smith, (870) 378-1434, Linda.Collins-Smith@senate.ar.
gov - Sen. Lance Eads, (479) 435-5139, lance.eads@senate.ar.gov
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Sen. Stephanie Flowers, (870) 535-1032, Stephanie.Flowers@senate.ar.
gov - Sen. Jim Hendren, (479)787-6222, jim.hendren@senate.ar.gov
And here is the contact information for the Sponsor of the bill, Senator Brian King so you can contact him and tell him that you support the bill and to do all he can to get the votes needed to bring it out of committee:
870-480-3155, bryan.king@senate.ar.gov
Stay tuned!
Be sure to share our alerts with your family and friends!
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