Rep. Hunter Cantrell
Press Release
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 56A | (651) 296-4212 | rep.hunter.cantrell@house.mn
421 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Thomas Olsen
thomas.olsen@house.mn
(952) 807-3738
April 14, 2020
Rep. Cantrell votes for Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act
St. Paul, MN - Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed legislation guaranteeing emergency access to insulin for those who need it and helping Minnesotans access affordable insulin in the long-term. After months of negotiations and numerous iterations of the bill, the House has come to a bipartisan agreement. Rep. Hunter Cantrell (DFL – Savage) voted in favor of the bill.
“We have passed the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act despite the best efforts of the pharmaceutical companies who have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on lobbying in Minnesota to try to stop this bill and protect their profits. I am honored to co-author this bill, and to vote in favor of this measure today,” said Rep. Cantrell. “No one should die from a lack of access to insulin. The greed of the pharmaceutical manufacturers has cost thousands of lives in our state and across our country, and we must continue our fight to remove the profiteering from our healthcare system. Thank you to everyone who has fought so hard to pass this bill into law. May Alec Smith rest in peace knowing that his tragic passing sparked a movement that will save the lives of countless Minnesotans living with diabetes.”
Information about the legislation can be found here, and a video recording of the House floor session can be found on the House Public Information YouTube page. The legislation is expected to be passed by the Minnesota Senate and signed by Governor Walz.
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