"After two hours of sharply divided testimony, the House health policy subcommittee voted to move the fluoridation bill to the full House Committee on Health Care but without a recommendation on its merits. "

"Oregon ranks 48th among states, trailed by New Jersey and Hawaii, in percentage of residents with fluoridated water. The bill would mandate fluoridation in cities with more than 10,000 residents. A similar Senate bill has yet to have a hearing. "

""This is a complex and sometimes contentious issue," said Rep. Tina Kotek, D-Portland, chairwoman of the subcommittee, in opening the hearing. "

"Two-thirds of the U.S. population drinks from fluoridated water supplies. Proponents cite the 60-year history of fluoridation nationally and its track record of safety. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls fluoridation one of the 10 most important public health advances of the 20th century, and it estimates that every dollar invested in fluoridation saves $38 in reduced dental costs. "

"But in Oregon, a coalition of anti-government conservatives, advocates of local control and environmentalists has blocked statewide fluoridation. "

"The subcommittee heard testimony from dueling panels. Each side accused the other of hyping anecdotal evidence and manipulating data out of context. Rather than vote up or down on the bill, lawmakers chose to move it to the full committee for more debate, possibly starting Friday. "

"Gordon Empey, dental consultant to the state Public Health Division, called fluoridation an "effective,
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