A town in Oregon is reconsidering its decision earlier this year to discontinue fluoridating its public water supply.
In May, the Philomath City Council voted to remove fluoride from the community's drinking water after three decades of fluoridation.
But proponents have been lobbying to restore fluoride to the city's water supply and are a step closer following a hearing to discuss the language of a proposed ballot measure that would do just that, according to a story in the Corvallis Gazette Times.
Both supporters and opponents of the initiative had taken issue with wording in the final draft of the measure and petitioned the circuit court to change the wording. The wording in question was: "Shall the City of Philomath resume adding fluoride compounds to the potable water supply system?"
Fluoride proponents said the final draft eliminated the "purpose" of the measure: that restoring fluoride to the water would promote dental health, the Times reported.
But Circuit Judge Locke Williams felt that adding the purpose would be too subjective, and opted instead to revise the ballot question and summary to read "approved fluoride compounds."
