Minnesota Values Agenda/Rx Price Gouging
My House DFL colleagues and I – newly in the majority after November’s election – wasted no time getting to work. Wednesday, we unveiled our first ten bills, dubbed the Minnesota Values Agenda, drawn from the statewide conversations that made up the Minnesota Values Plan. While this package certainly doesn’t contain everything we hope to accomplish this session, it starts a conversation about the core values that folks have let us know they care about. Overall, Minnesotans care about each other and want to see our families, neighbors, and our state as a whole succeed. Expanding public education opportunities, improving health care and making it more affordable, and strengthening economic security for all families will make this a reality.
I’m proud to author one of these bills, which will end prescription drug price gouging. We’ve seen examples of this such as the case of Martin Shkreli – the “Pharma Bro” who increased the price of a certain medication to treat AIDS symptoms 5,000 percent (he’s now in federal prison on an unrelated matter). People with diabetes choosing to ration insulin due to the immorally high cost has also led to tragic consequences.
Last year, I was successful in getting this provision passed as an amendment on the House Floor, but Big Pharma was able to operate behind the scenes to stop further progress. This year, with more Minnesotans telling their stories about how outrageous drug prices have affected their wellbeing, I’m confident it can become law.
Military Differential Pay
Just prior to session, Sen. Andrew Lang of Olivia and I introduced a bill to strengthen economic security for deployed members of the military and their families. Our bipartisan legislation would require Minnesota counties to offer “differential pay” to their employees who are deployed active duty service members. The amount due to the soldier would be the difference between their basic active duty military salary and the salary they would otherwise receive as an employee if not on military leave. One of these is Major Ayodele Famodu, an Assistant Ramsey County Attorney who is currently deployed with Task Force Spartan at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait.
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